Auxiliary verbs express the attitude of the speaker to the action expressed by the verb. The auxiliary verb indicates the tense of the sentence. The main verb after the auxiliary verb is in the base form (infinitive) without the word att.
Swedish auxiliary verbs:
| vilja | want |
| ska | will, intend |
| skulle | would, intended |
| kunna | can |
| måste | must |
| få | get |
| bör | ought to |
| borde | should |
Remember to conjugate the auxiliary verb in the correct tense. The tense of the sentence can be seen from the auxiliary verb, other verbs are in the base form.
Genom att ge blod kan du rädda någons liv.
By donating blood, you can save someone’s life.
As with auxiliary verbs, also e.g. with the following auxiliary-like verbs, the main verb is in the base form (infinitive) without the word att:
| behöva | need |
| bruka | have a habit of |
| hinna | have time |
| låta | let, allow |
| tänka | will, intend |
| våga | dare |
Vi hinner inte åka till sjukhuset, ring ambulansen!
We won’t make it to the hospital, call an ambulance!