"Jag läser tidningen på mobilen."

Translation: I am reading the newspaper on my cellphone.

[User_Grant]

Where is the "my" in this translation?

[RabbieY]

Swedish often uses a definite article where English would use the possessive. Just one of those quirks in different languages

[zsguthy]

I really hesitated because it seemed like a likely case of Swedish omitting the "self-evident" possessive -- yet the course very often penalizes not translating literally (e.g. definite article or plural/singular would make more proper English) ...

[damjansimi1]

My question is same

[chaered]

Funny how language drifts... Reading a "paper" on a phone, drinking from a plastic "glass", blowing on a copper "horn", etc.

[jacob738094]

I dont think I'd sayba plastic glass, always a plastic cup

[deactivated user]

Jag läser tidningen på toaletten.

[jldj]

Can << tidningen >> mean << the news >> or just << the newspaper >> ?

[KiwiDressager]

I came to the comments to ask this exact question! We have been taught so far that tidning translates to "newspaper" but after this question I wonder if it is less literal than that. As a native english speaker I would not tend to call online news (even an online version of a printed newspaper) a "newspaper" but rather just "the news". Would a native speaker be able to clarify the definition of "tidning" for me please?

[JoeYoung406506]

I would like an explanation for this also, i was of the understanding you would use "nyheter"

[Arnauti]

I'd take it someone who said this Swedish sentence had read e.g. Svenska dagbladet or Dagens nyheter online. If they'd just read the news, I'd have said nyheterna instead.

[ludovica1964]

"via cellphone" would be a good way of eliminating "my"

[MSnets]

Mobile can be used as an alternative to cell phone in English. Might be added as a translation

[WurdBendur]

The tip for "mobilen" has "cell phone" as two words. I answered using the same, which was accepted, but says it's a typo for "cellphone". At least it counted, I guess, but I worry it might cause problems? I don't really know how the scoring works.

[Arnauti]

Usually both ways are accepted, but 'cell phone' was actually missing here. I've added it now. The main English version should probably have 'cell phone' instead of 'cellphone'.

[FarhanaFar5]

Do they drop the 'my' here or this sentence is how the correct grammatical way of saying it?

[KiwiDressager]

Read the answers above. Swedish often tends to prefer the definite form over the possessive and this is one of those cases.

[lambertsimnel]

How would you translate "I read the newspaper over the phone"?

[kiteo]

As in to someone else on a phone call? That’s how I would take it.

[DrbRcQ]

Where is my (min) in this..?

[devalanteriel]

Please refer to the other comments on this.

[7WSKaSnu]

I don’t really understand why the -en is necessary here, since Swedish seems to use the noun on its own a lot in cases similar to this. For example, one of the other sentences was something like “Jag lyssnar på radio” (not radion). If -en isn’t needed there, why is it needed here? Would leaving the -en out maybe make this sentence more general, or is it always necessary?

[devalanteriel]

It's just idiomatics, really. Much like English would say "I'm watching tv" but "I'm reading the newspaper". But having said that, I would always use the definite and learn what the exceptions are, rather than the other way around.

[7WSKaSnu]

Thanks! That’s a good comparison, it makes the concept make a little more sense (as much as a system so vague and random can, at the very least).

[ph.JVffDx]

I believe 'mobilen' should be translated into 'the cell phone', not 'my cell phone' as indicated in the answer.

[devalanteriel]

Please see the top-most comment chain.

[April625888]

"I am reading the news on my phone."
No one says "newspaper" for a digital medium... that's just weird. And "phone" now is synonymous with mobile. Most people don't even own a landline.

[Peter147810]

there are still print newspapers with digital versions and it may matter which one you are reading; not all news sources are the same. there are still millions of landlines.

[ILF17]

But the translation must be correct also without 'my', and so Swedish makes no difference. Or tell me how it would sound if the sentence does not refer to 'my' cell phone.

[devalanteriel]

Could you please specify the exact sentence you had in mind? I think I know, but I'd like to make sure.