Breakdown of Kan du berätta vilken buss jag ska ta?
jag
I
du
you
kunna
can
ta
to take
ska
will
bussen
the bus
vilken
which
berätta
to tell
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Questions & Answers about Kan du berätta vilken buss jag ska ta?
Why is it vilken buss and not vilket buss or vilka buss?
Because buss is a common-gender (en-word) noun, so you use vilken for singular common gender. Use vilket with neuter nouns (ett-words) and vilka for plurals. Examples: vilket tåg, vilka bussar.
Why is the word order …vilken buss jag ska ta and not …vilken buss ska jag ta?
This is an indirect (embedded) question. In Swedish indirect questions, the subject comes before the verb (S–V order): vilken buss [jag] [ska] [ta]. The inverted order (ska jag) is only for direct questions like Vilken buss ska jag ta?
So is Kan du berätta vilken buss ska jag ta? wrong?
Yes—Swedish speakers will find that ungrammatical. In indirect questions you must keep subject–verb order: …vilken buss jag ska ta.
What does ska convey here, and could I use kommer att, bör, or måste instead?
Here ska expresses expectation/plan or “am supposed to/should” in a practical sense, which fits choosing the correct bus.
- Kommer att ta = will take (neutral future), not about advice/plan.
- Bör = ought to (milder, more moral/ideal).
- Måste = must/have to (strong necessity).
Can I use säga, tala om, or berätta för mig instead of berätta?
Yes:
- Kan du säga vilken buss… (very common)
- Kan du tala om vilken buss… (colloquial “tell me”)
- Kan du berätta för mig vilken buss… (adds the recipient explicitly)
Avoid berätta mig (wrong). Säga mig exists but feels formal/old-fashioned; everyday Swedish prefers just säga (without mig) or säga till mig in the sense “let me know.”
Do I need för mig after berätta?
No. Kan du berätta vilken buss… is fine. Add för mig only if you want to explicitly mark the recipient: Kan du berätta för mig vilken buss…
Where does negation go if I want to say “which bus I should not take”?
In an embedded clause, put inte before the finite verb: …vilken buss jag inte ska ta. As a direct question it’s Vilken buss ska jag inte ta?
Why use ta and not åka?
Use ta when you mean “catch/take a specific line”: Jag ska ta buss 4. Åka means “ride/go (by)”: Jag åker buss till jobbet (I go by bus to work). You can also say åka med buss 4 (ride bus 4).
How do I naturally mention the bus number in replies?
Common options:
- Ta buss 4.
- Ta fyran. (the “four,” very natural for lines)
- Ta linje 4.
- Åk med buss 4.
Is the sentence polite enough as a request?
Yes. Kan du … is polite and perfectly normal. To make it even softer, use Skulle du kunna berätta/säga … (“Would you be able to…”).
Do I ever add att after kan or ska here?
No. Swedish modals take a bare infinitive: kan berätta, ska ta (not kan att berätta or ska att ta).
What is the function of vilken buss jag ska ta in the whole sentence?
It’s an embedded content clause (an indirect question) functioning as the direct object of berätta.
Why not use som after vilken buss?
Because this is an indirect question, not a relative clause. Use som for relative clauses: Jag tar den buss som går till centrum (“the bus that goes to the center”).
Can I say Vad för buss instead of Vilken buss?
Yes: Vad för buss ska jag ta? is idiomatic and a bit more colloquial/open-ended. Vilken buss is the neutral “which bus.”
Any quick pronunciation tips?
- jag is often pronounced like “ya” ([jɑː]) in speech.
- buss has a short, rounded vowel; the double ss is a long /sː/.
- vilken has a hard k here (because it’s after l), not a “sh” sound.
- ska has a plain sk (not “sh”), and the vowel is short.
- berätta is stressed on the second syllable: be-rät-ta, with a clear double tt.