Learn Hardcore Swedish: Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör rummet mysigt. - The light in the living room makes the room cozy.

In this sentence, we are talking about a specific light – the light in the living room – so Swedish uses Ljuset with the definite ending -et.

Because ljus is an ett-word (neuter noun), its definite singular form ends in -et, not -en:

ett ljus → ljuset
en stol → stolen

What does vardagsrummet literally mean, and how is it built?

Vardagsrummet is a compound noun:

vardag = weekday; in everyday language also everyday life
rum = room
vardagsrum = living room (literally: everyday room)
vardagsrummet = the living room

So:

(ett) vardagsrum = a living room
vardagsrummet = the living room

Again, vardagsrum is an ett-word, so the definite singular ending is -et → vardagsrummet.

Why is it i vardagsrummet and not på vardagsrummet?

Swedish uses i (in) for being inside or within a room or enclosed space:

i vardagsrummet = in the living room
i köket = in the kitchen
i skolan = in/at school (inside the school building)

På (on, at) is used with surfaces and some fixed expressions:

på bordet = on the table
på väggen = on the wall
på jobbet = at work

A living room is thought of as a space you are inside, so you say i vardagsrummet, not på vardagsrummet.

In Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör rummet mysigt, does i vardagsrummet belong to ljuset or to gör rummet mysigt?

Grammatically and most naturally, i vardagsrummet is part of the subject noun phrase and describes ljuset:

Ljuset i vardagsrummet = the light in the living room (subject)
gör = makes (verb)
rummet mysigt = the room cozy (object + complement)

So the core structure is:

[Ljuset i vardagsrummet] [gör] [rummet mysigt].

You are saying: The light in the living room makes the room cozy.
You are not primarily saying that the making happens in the living room, but that the light is in the living room.

Why do we repeat rummet (in vardagsrummet and again as rummet) instead of just saying it once?

The sentence:

Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör rummet mysigt.

literally has:

vardagsrummet = the living room
rummet = the room

So we are talking about the light in the living room making the room cozy. In context, rummet typically refers to the same living room, but grammatically it doesn’t have to; it could be a different room.

You could avoid repetition in several natural ways:

Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör det mysigt.
The light in the living room makes it cozy.
Ljuset gör vardagsrummet mysigt.
The light makes the living room cozy.
Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör vardagsrummet mysigt.
(grammatically fine, but stylistically a bit repetitive)

The original sentence is fine, but in everyday speech many Swedes might prefer one of the shorter alternatives.

Why is it mysigt and not mysig or mysiga?

Mysig is an adjective meaning cozy, snug, pleasant. It changes form to agree with the noun it describes.

Basic forms:

mysig – common gender (en-word), singular:
en mysig soffa – a cozy sofa
mysigt – neuter (ett-word), singular, or adverb:
ett mysigt rum – a cozy room
mysiga – plural or definite:
de mysiga rummen – the cozy rooms

Here, mysigt comes after rummet and describes it:

rummet is an ett-word: (ett) rum → rummet
So the adjective must take the neuter form: mysigt

Structure: > gör [rummet] [mysigt]
> makes [the room] [cozy]

So mysigt is correct because it agrees in gender with rum/rummet, which is neuter.

Is mysigt an adjective or an adverb here?

Here mysigt is an adjective in predicative position, not an adverb.

It describes the state of the object rummet: the room is cozy.
It agrees in gender with rummet (neuter) → mysigt.

You can test this by rewriting the sentence:

Rummet är mysigt. – The room is cozy.

In both sentences (Rummet är mysigt and Ljuset gör rummet mysigt), mysigt functions as an adjective describing rummet, not as an adverb modifying gör.

What nuance does mysig/mysigt have in Swedish? Is it just “cozy”?

Mysig does often translate as cozy, but it has a broader, very culturally loaded meaning in Swedish.

It can include ideas of:

warmth (physical or emotional)
comfort and relaxation
a nice, intimate atmosphere
safety and pleasantness, often in a simple, homely way

Examples:

en mysig kväll – a cozy/nice evening (maybe candles, good company)
ett mysigt café – a cozy, charming café
Det var så mysigt hos er. – It was so cozy/pleasant at your place.

So in Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör rummet mysigt, the light doesn’t just make the room a bit warm; it creates a pleasant, homely, comfortable atmosphere.

Why is the word order gör rummet mysigt and not gör mysigt rummet?

Swedish basic word order is:

Subject – Verb – Object – Predicative/Adverbial

In this part of the sentence:

gör = verb
rummet = object
mysigt = predicative adjective describing the object

So the natural order is:

gör rummet mysigt
makes the room cozy

Putting mysigt before rummet (gör mysigt rummet) would be ungrammatical and sound wrong to a native speaker. The predicative adjective follows the object it describes in this pattern:

gör mig glad – makes me happy
gör huset fint – makes the house nice
gör rummet mysigt – makes the room cozy

Could I say Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör det mysigt instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, this is very natural:

Ljuset i vardagsrummet gör det mysigt.

Here:

det refers to the situation/space (often implicitly there in the living room).
You avoid repeating rummet.

Subtle difference:

gör rummet mysigt – focuses directly on the room as an object that becomes cozy.
gör det mysigt – more general: makes it cozy, creates a cozy atmosphere (there).

Both are correct; gör det mysigt is often more idiomatic in casual speech.

How is ljus declined? What are the main forms I should know?

Ljus is a neuter noun (ett ljus). The main forms:

Indefinite singular: (ett) ljus – a light / a candle
Definite singular: ljuset – the light / the candle
Indefinite plural: ljus – lights / candles
Definite plural: ljusen – the lights / the candles

Examples:

Ett ljus står på bordet. – A candle is on the table.
Ljuset i hallen är trasigt. – The light in the hall is broken.
Det finns många ljus i fönstret. – There are many candles in the window.
Ljusen i taket är starka. – The lights in the ceiling are bright.

In your sentence, Ljuset is definite singular: the light.

Why does vardagsrum become vardagsrummet with -mm- in the middle?

This is a spelling effect of adding the definite ending -et to a word ending in -rum.

Base word:

(ett) rum → rummet

The -m + e- combination often gets written as -mm- before the ending in these neuter nouns:

rum → rummet
vardagsrum → vardagsrummet

So:

ett vardagsrum – a living room
vardagsrummet – the living room

The double m reflects how the word is traditionally spelled when you add the definite ending; you don’t pronounce a noticeably longer m in everyday speech.

How do you pronounce the tricky parts: Ljuset, gör, and vardagsrummet?

Key points:

Ljuset
- lj in Swedish is pronounced like English y in yes: [j]
- u here is like English oo in food, but slightly shorter
- e is like the e in get
- Stress is on the first syllable: LJU-set
Approximation: “YOO-set”
gör
- g before ö is a soft y-like sound in some accents but often just a soft g or even almost silent; the important sound is ö
- ö is a rounded front vowel, somewhere between English e in her and u in burn, but with rounded lips
- Final r is often weak in many accents
Roughly: a single syllable like “yur” or “jœr”, but with rounded lips on the vowel.
vardagsrummet
- Split it: vardag-s-rum-met
- va – like va in vat (short a)
- r – tapped or rolled
- dag – a like a in father, g often soft or almost silent in casual speech
- s – as in see
- rum – u is like oo in book (but somewhat tenser)
- met – e as in get
Primary stress is on var-: VAR-dags-rum-met.

You don’t need to be perfect; Swedes will understand you if you approximate lj as y, ö as the vowel in her, and keep the basic rhythm.