# Swedish: 'När jag träffar någon som förstår mer än de andra tar jag fram min första teckning.'



## vidar

I've read all the rules but don't understand what rule applies to 'tar jag fram min första teckning.' which makes the verb and subject invert.

I'm thinking that it's because the entirety of the first part of the sentence up to 'andra' counts as 'position 1' and therefore means the verb needs to come next ?


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## Swedish Anna

You are right! It's because the sentence starts with a time adverbial (_När jag träffar någon som förstår mer än de andra_).
Compare:
_Jag tar fram min första teckning när jag träffar någon som förstår mer än de andra.  _Subject, verb+verb particle, direct object, time adverbial
_När jag träffar någon som förstår mer än de andra tar jag fram min första teckning. _Time adverbial, verb, subject, verb particle, direct object

In your example the time adverbial is a whole clause, but it could of course, as you know, be just one word.

_Jag tar fram min första teckning snart. _
_Snart tar jag fram min första teckning.
Snart - "_soon".


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## vidar

Very helpful Anna, thanks a lot.


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## vidar

Posting this here because it covers the exact same topic:

Så jag slutta att teckna när jag är sex år.

Why is the above sentence not inverting jag år in the second part ? Is it because the när comes right before ?


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## Obolensky

Well, maybe because *"när"* in your case "So, I gave up painting *when* I was six years old" is a subordinating conjunction and not an adverb (or, if I'm not too sleepy for the moment ..). I suppose the word order doesn't change in that case ...


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## vidar

Actually, re-reading Anna's post above shows me that she already answered my second question with her reply ! Should have spotted that, apologies.


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## raumar

I am not sure if that post explained everything. Other members of this forum can explain the grammar better than I can, but I believe the point is that "när jag är sex år" is a subordinate clause - and that there is no inversion in subordinate clauses. This overview may be useful: 

Word order | WordDive Grammar


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## Swedish Anna

vidar said:


> Posting this here because it covers the exact same topic:
> 
> Så jag slutta att teckna när jag är sex år.
> 
> Why is the above sentence not inverting jag år in the second part ? Is it because the när comes right before ?


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Hej! Here is my late answer. As Raumar said: _när jag är sex år _is a subordinate clause = a clause that functions as a clause element in the main clause. And as Obolensky pointed out: _när_ is a subordinate conjunction. So that's why the verb doesn't come before the subject.

Some other examples of subordinate clauses with subordinate conjunction +subject +verb:
Jag trodde *att han var hemma*. (direct object)
Ring mig *innan du är framme*. (adverbial, time)
Jag tog bilen *eftersom jag missade tåget*. (adverbial, cause)

_(När_ can also be an adverb that functions as an adverbial. If you put that _när_ at the beginning of the clause, the verb comes before the subject - and you get a question!
_När slutade jag teckna?)_


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## Wilma_Sweden

Swedish Anna said:


> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Hej! Here is my late answer. As Raumar said: _när jag är sex år _is a subordinate clause = a clause that functions as a clause element in the main clause. And as Obolensky pointed out: _när_ is a subordinate conjunction. So that's why the verb doesn't come before the subject.
> 
> Some other examples of subordinate clauses with subordinate conjunction +subject +verb:
> Jag trodde *att han var hemma*. (direct object)
> Ring mig *innan du är framme*. (adverbial, time)
> Jag tog bilen *eftersom jag missade tåget*. (adverbial, cause)
> När jag
> _(När_ can also be an adverb that functions as an adverbial. If you put that _när_ at the beginning of the clause, the verb comes before the subject - and you get a question!
> _När slutade jag teckna?)_


V2 word order is fiendishly difficult! I started playing around with the above sentences to see how, and where, we would get the inverted order:

Att han var hemma trodde jag. (not an ideal context but perfectly grammatical) A better example:  Att han var hemma *visste jag* (därför att fönstret var öppet).

We can't do anything with the imperative, but with other constructions certainly:

Innan du är framme *måste du *ringa mig or Innan du är framme *vill jag* att du ringer mig.

Eftersom jag missade tåget *tog jag* bilen.

När jag var 6 år *slutade jag* att teckna.


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