Vilka gator i centrum är tysta på kvällen?

Which streets in the center are quiet in the evening?

Breakdown of Vilka gator i centrum är tysta på kvällen?

• vara: to be
• i: in
• kvällen: the evening
• på: in
• vilken: which
• centrumet: the city center
• gatan: the street
• tyst: quiet

Questions & Answers about Vilka gator i centrum är tysta på kvällen?

Why is it vilka and not vilken or vilket?

Because gator (streets) is plural. Swedish uses:

• vilken for singular common gender (en-words): Vilken gata…?
• vilket for singular neuter (ett-words): Vilket torg…?
• vilka for plural: Vilka gator…?

Why is the adjective tysta and not tyst?

Swedish adjectives agree with the noun even in the predicate. With a plural subject, you use the plural form ending in -a:

• Singular: Gatan är tyst.
• Plural: Gatorna är tysta. Here the understood subject is plural (streets), so you need tysta.

Does this sentence follow the Swedish verb-second (V2) rule in questions?

Yes. The entire wh‑phrase Vilka gator i centrum is one constituent in first position, and the finite verb är is in second position: [Vilka gator i centrum] [är] [tysta] [på kvällen]?

Can I move i centrum later: “Vilka gator är tysta i centrum på kvällen?”?

Yes, that’s also correct. Subtle nuance:

• Vilka gator i centrum… treats “in the city centre” as part of the noun phrase (the set you’re picking from).
• Vilka gator … i centrum… treats it more as a location adverbial. Both are natural; choose the one that fits your emphasis.

Why is it på kvällen and not something with another preposition?

For parts of the day used generally or habitually, Swedish typically uses på + definite singular:

• på morgonen, på eftermiddagen, på kvällen, på natten. Alternatives:
• på kvällarna = in the evenings (habitual, plural).
• i kväll / ikväll = tonight (a specific evening). Do not say i kvällen; that’s ungrammatical.

Could I say blir tysta instead of är tysta?

Yes, but it changes the meaning slightly:

• är tysta = are quiet (state).
• blir tysta = become quiet (change into that state, e.g., as the evening arrives).

Can I phrase it with finns det?

Absolutely, very natural in speech:

• Finns det några gator i centrum som är tysta på kvällen? This asks about existence rather than selection.

Do I need som after gator in the original question?

No. This is a direct wh‑question, so you say Vilka gator … är …? without som. You would use som in a relative clause or in the cleft construction:

• Vilka är det som är tysta på kvällen?

Why is it the indefinite plural gator and not the definite gatorna?

You’re asking about an unspecified subset of all streets, so you use the indefinite plural gator. If you’re picking from a known, specific set, you’d use:

• Vilka av gatorna i centrum är tysta på kvällen? (= Which of the streets…)

What exactly does centrum mean here? Is it “downtown”?

Yes—i centrum commonly means “in the city centre/downtown.” It’s a set phrase; you don’t add an article there. If you need to be explicit, you can say i stadens centrum. Other common words are innerstan (the inner city).

Is tyst the best word here, or would lugn be more idiomatic?

Both work, with a nuance:

• tyst focuses on low noise/silence: “quiet (not noisy).”
• lugn focuses on calmness/low activity: “calm/peaceful.” So you could also ask: Vilka gator i centrum är lugna på kvällen?

Can I use the “dummy det” construction: “Vilka gator i centrum är det tyst på på kvällen?” It looks odd with two på.

Yes, that’s idiomatic Swedish. The preposition på belongs with different phrases:

• är det tyst på (on/along the street)
• på kvällen (in the evening) So på appears twice for different reasons, and that’s fine.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

• vilka: stress on the first syllable, VIL-ka.
• gator: å like English “aw”/“o” (GAW-tor).
• centrum: c = s, SEN-trum.
• är: like “air,” but short.
• tysta: y is a fronted vowel (like German ü): roughly “TÜS-ta.”
• kvällen: ä like “bed,” short vowel before double l: KVEL-len. The initial kv is a cluster, both sounds pronounced.

Could I make it singular: “Vilken gata i centrum är tyst på kvällen?”?

Yes—if you expect a single street to qualify. Singular agreement then applies:

• Vilken gata … är tyst … (singular adjective form).