Learn Hardcore Swedish: Fotboll är ett roligt spel som många barn och vuxna gillar. - Soccer is a fun game that many children and adults like.

In Swedish, nouns have genders that determine which indefinite article to use. Since spel (game) is a neuter noun, it takes ett rather than en. Also, the adjective rolig is adjusted to roligt to agree with the neuter noun in the indefinite singular form.

How does the relative clause som många barn och vuxna gillar function in this sentence?

The clause introduced by som (which translates to that or which) provides additional information about spel. It specifies that the game is liked by many children and adults. Placing the relative clause right after the noun it describes is a common structure in Swedish, just as in English.

Why is the adjective written as roligt rather than rolig in ett roligt spel?

Swedish adjectives must agree with the noun they modify. When an adjective precedes a neuter noun in an indefinite context, it generally takes the ending -t. Here, since spel is neuter, the base form rolig becomes roligt.

Why does Fotboll not have any article, while spel does?

Fotboll is used to refer to the sport in a generic sense—similar to how English speakers say, soccer is fun—so no article is needed. On the other hand, spel is a countable noun describing a specific kind of game, so it is introduced with the indefinite article ett.

How is the word order of this Swedish sentence structured compared to English?

The sentence follows a subject-verb-complement order similar to English. It begins with the subject (Fotboll), followed by the verb (är), and then a predicate noun phrase (ett roligt spel) which is further modified by the relative clause (som många barn och vuxna gillar). Although the overall order is similar, Swedish requires attention to gender-based articles and adjective endings.