Swedish Grammar #36: How to Use the Superlative
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Swedish Grammar #56: Expressions for Ongoing Actions
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In Swedish, two common expressions are used to describe ongoing actions, such as “to keep doing” or “to be in the middle of doing something”: fortsätta att and hålla på att.
In English, fortsätta att is close to “continue to…”, while hålla på att is similar to “be in the middle of…”.
In this lesson, I will explain the difference between these two expressions, with examples of how they are used.
Contents
1. fortsätta att: Continuation of an Action
The phrase fortsätta att + infinitive means “to continue to do something.”
It is used to describe an action that has already started and is still ongoing without being stopped. In English, this corresponds to “continue to …”.
- Hon fortsatte att läsa boken.
(She continued to read the book.) - Vi fortsätter att arbeta tills jobbet är klart.
(We will continue to work until the job is finished.) - Han fortsatte att prata trots att alla var trötta.
(He kept talking even though everyone was tired.)
The nuance here is that the action is not being interrupted but carried on, often implying persistence or duration.
2. hålla på att: Action in Progress
The phrase hålla på att + infinitive expresses “to be in the middle of doing something” or “to be in the process of.” It highlights the action as it is happening in that moment.
- Jag håller på att laga mat.
(I am cooking. / I am in the middle of cooking.) - De höll på att spela fotboll när det började regna.
(They were playing football when it started to rain.) - Hon höll på att somna under filmen.
(She was about to fall asleep during the movie.)
This construction is similar to English “be in the middle of ~ing” or sometimes “be about to.” It places emphasis on the immediacy of the action.
Additionally, hålla på att can mean “almost did / was close to doing something”, depending on context:
- Jag höll på att ramla. (I almost fell. / I was about to fall.)
→ höll på = past tense
3. Difference Between fortsätta att and hålla på att
The differences can be summarized as follows:
| Expression | Meaning | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| fortsätta att | to continue to… | continuation of an action | Hon fortsatte att skriva. (She continued writing.) |
| hålla på att | to be in the middle of… | action in progress | Hon håller på att skriva. (She is writing. / in the middle of writing.) |
Even with the same verb, the nuance changes:
- fortsätta att:
emphasizes not stopping an action already started. - hålla på att:
emphasizes the immediate state of doing it right now.
4. Summary
- fortsätta att + verb → “to continue to …” (emphasizes continuity and persistence)
- hålla på att + verb → “to be in the middle of …” (emphasizes immediacy and progression)
- fortsätta highlights intention and duration, while hålla på highlights the action at that very moment.
- hålla på att can also mean “almost did / was close to doing.”
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