Är det rätt bord, eller sitter vi fel?

Is this the right table, or are we sitting wrong?

Breakdown of Är det rätt bord, eller sitter vi fel?

• vara: to be
• eller: or
• vi: we
• det: it
• sitta: to sit
• fel: wrong
• rätt: right
• bordet: the table

Questions & Answers about Är det rätt bord, eller sitter vi fel?

Why is it det and not den?

Because bord is a neuter noun (ett bord), so the pronoun/article is det, not den. In Är det rätt bord?, det refers to “this/that (one)” or acts as a neutral subject pronoun.

Can I say Är det här rätt bord? or Är detta rätt bord?

Yes. det här = “this” (everyday speech), detta = “this” (more formal/written). All are fine:

• Är det rätt bord? (neutral)
• Är det här rätt bord? (explicitly “this” table)
• Är detta rätt bord? (formal)

Why use rätt and not riktig, korrekt, or höger?

• rätt = right/correct (the intended choice): rätt bord, rätt tid.
• riktig = real/genuine/proper: ett riktigt bord = “a real table,” not the intended meaning here.
• korrekt = correct, but formal; you’d rarely say korrekt bord in speech.
• höger = right-hand (direction), not “correct.”

Why isn’t it det rätta bordet? Are both versions possible?

Both are possible, but they differ in feel:

• Är det rätt bord? is light and very idiomatic in speech.
• Är det det rätta bordet? is fully definite and more formal/emphatic. Note the “double det”: first det is the pronoun (“is it”), second det is the definite article required before an adjective with a definite noun: det rätta bordet.

Do I really have to write two det in Är det det rätta bordet?

Yes. First det = “is it/this,” second det = the definite article for a neuter noun modified by an adjective. That’s standard Swedish: det gröna huset, det nya kaféet, etc.

Could I say Är bordet rätt?

That’s not idiomatic for this meaning. Swedish normally places adjectives before nouns for this kind of “the right X”: rätt bord. You could say Är detta rätt bord? or Är det rätt bord?, but Är bordet rätt? sounds off.

Why is there a comma before eller?

It’s optional. Swedish often omits commas before coordinating conjunctions like och/eller. A comma can be added to show a pause or separate two short independent questions. Both are acceptable: with or without the comma.

Why is the word order sitter vi (verb before subject)?

Because it’s a yes/no question. Swedish polar questions put the finite verb first (V1): Sitter vi fel? The same inversion applies after eller because the second half is also a question.

Why use sitter and not är?

Swedish uses posture verbs for states: sitta (be sitting), stå (be standing), ligga (be lying). To express being seated in the wrong place, you say vi sitter fel, not vi är fel. Note: ha fel = “to be wrong (in one’s opinion),” e.g., Vi har fel = “We’re wrong.”

What is fel doing here? Is it an adjective, an adverb, or a noun?

Here fel functions adverbially, modifying the verb: sitta fel = “sit in the wrong place.” It doesn’t take adjective endings. Compare:

• sitta fel (adverbial “wrongly”)
• ett fel (noun “a mistake/error”)
• fel bord (adjective-like use before a noun: “the wrong table”)

Do I need a preposition like vid?

Not necessarily. Sitta fel is idiomatic on its own. If you want to be explicit: Sitter vi vid fel bord? = “Are we sitting at the wrong table?” Use:

• vid for “at” a table: sitta vid bordet
• på for “in/on” a place: sitta på fel ställe

Could sitter vi fel mean we have bad posture?

Context decides. For posture Swedes would usually say sitter dåligt, sitter snett, or har dålig sittställning. In a restaurant setting, sitter vi fel almost always means “We’re at the wrong table/seat.”

What are the forms of bord?

bord is a neuter noun:

• Singular indefinite: ett bord
• Singular definite: bordet
• Plural indefinite: bord
• Plural definite: borden

How is sitta conjugated?

It’s irregular:

• Infinitive: sitta
• Present: sitter
• Past: satt
• Supine: suttit

Could I say Har vi satt oss vid fel bord?

Yes. sätta sig = “to sit down.” Har vi satt oss vid fel bord? focuses on the action of sitting down in the wrong place. Sitter vi fel? describes the current state of being seated in the wrong place.

Can I use a tag like English “right?”—for example … eller? or … eller hur?

Yes, colloquially:

• Är det rätt bord, eller? ~ “Is this the right table, or what?”
• Det här är rätt bord, eller hur? ~ “This is the right table, right?” They’re more conversational than the original alternative question.