Leran ligger på bordet.

to lie

Breakdown of Leran ligger på bordet.

• på: on
• bordet: the table
• leran: the clay

Questions & Answers about Leran ligger på bordet.

Why is it leran and not lera?

Because leran is the definite singular form of lera.

• lera = clay
• leran = the clay

In Swedish, definiteness is often added as an ending on the noun rather than with a separate word like the in English.

Since lera is a common-gender noun (an en-word), its definite singular ending is -n:

• en lera = a clay / clay
• leran = the clay

So Leran ligger på bordet means The clay is lying on the table.

Why is it bordet and not just bord?

For the same reason: bordet is the definite singular form of bord.

• ett bord = a table
• bordet = the table

Bord is a neuter noun, also called an ett-word, so its definite singular ending is -et.

So:

• på bordet = on the table
• på ett bord = on a table

In this sentence, the table is definite, so Swedish uses bordet.