sedan

Great question! It's true, 'sedan' can be both an adverb and a preposition, and it's all about how it's used in the sentence. When 'sedan' is an adverb, it usually means 'then' or 'afterward,' indicating a sequence of events. For example, 'Först åt jag frukost, sedan gick jag till jobbet.' (First I ate breakfast, then I went to work.) When it's a preposition, it means 'since' and refers to a point in time from which something has been happening. For example, 'Jag har bott här sedan 2010.' (I have lived here since 2010.) You'll often see 'sedan' as a preposition in constructions like 'sedan dess' (since then).

Yes, you can! When 'sedan' acts as an adverb meaning 'then' or 'afterward,' it essentially conveys the idea of 'after that.' So, if you say 'Jag åt middag, sedan tittade jag på TV,' (I ate dinner, then I watched TV), it means 'after eating dinner, I watched TV.' Just remember it's typically used to connect two clauses or actions that happen in sequence.

They are very similar, but not always perfectly interchangeable. Both 'sedan' (as an adverb) and 'efteråt' mean 'afterward' or 'then.' However, 'efteråt' often has a stronger sense of 'later' or 'after that specific thing.' 'Sedan' can sometimes feel a bit more general in sequencing. Think of it like this: 'efteråt' is almost always replaceable by 'sedan' when talking about sequence, but 'sedan' might have a slightly broader usage in some contexts. For example, 'Vi åt lunch. Efteråt/Sedan gick vi en promenad.' (We ate lunch. Afterward/Then we went for a walk.) Both work well here.

The easiest way to tell the difference is by looking at the sentence structure and what 'sedan' is connecting. If 'sedan' is connecting two actions or events in a sequence, it means 'then' or 'afterward.' For example, 'Jag läste boken, sedan somnade jag.' (I read the book, then I fell asleep.) If 'sedan' is followed by a specific time or event and describes a duration from that point, it means 'since.' For example, 'Jag har inte sett henne sedan igår.' (I haven't seen her since yesterday.) Context is key!

Absolutely! A very common one is 'sedan dess,' which means 'since then.' For example, 'Han flyttade till Sverige förra året, och har bott här sedan dess.' (He moved to Sweden last year, and has lived here since then.) Another useful one is in the structure 'för X år sedan,' meaning 'X years ago.' For example, 'Jag träffade henne för tio år sedan.' (I met her ten years ago.) This is a key structure to remember for talking about past events.

Yes, it can! When 'sedan' starts a sentence, it often acts as a connector, meaning 'then' or 'after that,' linking back to something previously mentioned. For example, 'Vi åt frukost. Sedan åkte vi till stranden.' (We ate breakfast. Then we went to the beach.) Just be mindful of standard Swedish word order (V2 rule) when 'sedan' starts the sentence; the verb usually comes next.

For A1 learners, it's safest to focus on 'sedan' as an adverb (then/afterward) and a preposition (since). While technically 'sedan' can also introduce a subordinate clause in more complex grammatical structures, that's beyond the A1 level. Stick to understanding its adverbial and prepositional uses first, as those are the most common and essential for basic communication.

Both 'sedan' (as an adverb) and 'då' can mean 'then.' However, 'då' often has a stronger connotation of 'at that specific time' or 'at that point.' 'Sedan' tends to focus more on the sequence of events. Think of 'då' as answering 'when?' (at that time) and 'sedan' as answering 'what happened next?' For example, 'Jag var ung då.' (I was young then.) versus 'Först regnade det, sedan kom solen fram.' (First it rained, then the sun came out.)

That's a good distinction to make. You use 'sedan' for 'since' when you're talking about a duration of time that has passed from a specific point. It implies an ongoing state or action. For example, 'Jag har läst svenska sedan förra året.' (I have been reading Swedish since last year.) 'Från' is typically used for a starting point in space or sometimes time, but not usually for the 'since when' meaning of duration. For example, 'Bussen går från torget.' (The bus goes from the square.)

Certainly! Here's a clear example: 'Jag åt en smörgås, sedan drack jag kaffe.' (I ate a sandwich, then I drank coffee.) This shows two distinct actions happening in sequence, with 'sedan' bridging them as 'then' or 'afterward.'