# Swedish: Adverbial Clauses



## 盲人瞎馬

Hello,

I've been reading about the so called "inversion" that takes place sometimes in swedish and I'd like to go understand it better. So, if I understood correctly based on what I've read in the internet, "if a sentence begins with a dependent clause whose first word is an adverb, then the verb of that dependent clause has to be the second word in the entire sentence". Is that it? I'll write down an examples.

Jag gillar att gå ut om det regnar inte. 
Om regnar det inte jag gillar att gå ut. (not "om det regnar inte")

Is this the "rule" that governs the inversion?


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## MattiasNYC

I suck at grammar. But it should probably read: 

"Jag gillar att gå ut om det inte regnar" (note the placement of "inte")
"Om det inte regnar gillar jag att gå ut."


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## 盲人瞎馬

MattiasNYC said:


> I suck at grammar. But it should probably read:
> 
> "Jag gillar att gå ut om det inte regnar" (note the placement of "inte")
> "Om det inte regnar gillar jag att gå ut."



That made me even more confused. Can anyone explain why the inversion wasn't done in the second phrase?


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## MattiasNYC

Could you give the source of that "rule"? Perhaps if we can read it in context we can make sure you understood it correctly, and that it was correctly written in the first place.


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## 盲人瞎馬

MattiasNYC said:


> Could you give the source of that "rule"? Perhaps if we can read it in context we can make sure you understood it correctly, and that it was correctly written in the first place.



http://blogs.transparent.com/swedish/word-order-in-subordinate-clauses/

I want to master this inversion thing that happens in swedish. Like here:

På söndagar går jag och fikar med mina kompisar.  (not "jag går").


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## AutumnOwl

Vitalore said:


> That made me even more confused. Can anyone explain why the inversion wasn't done in the second phrase?


There is an inversion in the second phrase:
"J*ag gillar* att gå ut om det inte regnar." - no inversion
"Om det inte regnar *gillar jag *att gå ut." - inversion


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## 盲人瞎馬

AutumnOwl said:


> There is an inversion in the second phrase:
> "J*ag gillar* att gå ut om det inte regnar." - no inversion
> "Om det inte regnar *gillar jag *att gå ut." - inversion



So the inversion is only done in the independent clause only?


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## AutumnOwl

Vitalore said:


> So the inversion is only done in the independent clause only?


I would say yes, it's only done in the independent clause (there may be some cases when is possible to use the inversion in a dependent clause, but it's very rare).


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## MattiasNYC

Thanks for clarifying Owl. I need coffee.


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## Delfinen

As Swedish has the verb in the second position in the independent clause, and an dependent clause first in the sentence is "*number one*", the verb must follow.
*Jag* kommer idag. 
*Idag *kommer jag. 
*Jag *kommer om jag har tid. 
*Om jag har tid* kommer jag.
*Jag* gillar att gå ut om det inte regnar.
*Om det inte regnar* gillar jag att gå ut. ("inte" + verb in the independent clause)
*Jag *gillar inte att gå ut om det regnar. ("verb + "inte" /verb + subject + "inte" in the independent clause) )
*Om det regnar* gillar jag inte att gå ut. 

Great fun


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