Breakdown of Kan du föreslå en promenadstig där det inte finns så många bilar på vägen?
Questions & Answers about Kan du föreslå en promenadstig där det inte finns så många bilar på vägen?
In Swedish (like in English), yes/no questions usually begin with the verb:
- Kan du föreslå … ? = Can you suggest … ?
- Du kan föreslå … = You can suggest … (a statement, not a question)
So the inversion Kan du is required to make it a question.
This is the standard pattern for questions with a modal verb:
- Kan du komma? – Can you come?
- Vill du följa med? – Do you want to come along?
Both are possible, but there are small nuances:
- föreslå = to suggest
- Neutral: you’re just offering an option.
- rekommendera = to recommend
- Slightly stronger: you’re saying it’s a good choice, more like endorsing it.
In this sentence, both work:
- Kan du föreslå en promenadstig … ?
- Kan du rekommendera en promenadstig … ?
The meaning is almost the same. Föreslå is maybe a bit more neutral and common in this kind of question, but rekommendera is not wrong. Another very natural verb is:
- Kan du tipsa om en promenadstig … ? (Can you give me a tip about a walking path … ?)
- stig = path, trail
- Very general: a narrow path, often in nature, not necessarily for “leisure walking”.
- promenadstig = walking path
- Emphasises that the path is suitable for going for a walk. Sounds a bit more planned/maintained than just any stig.
- gångväg = pedestrian path / walkway
- More technical/neutral. Often for a paved path where only pedestrians (and sometimes bikes) are allowed.
- promenadstråk = area/route for walking, promenade
- Can be a larger route or area where people tend to walk, not necessarily a single narrow path.
In your sentence, promenadstig suggests a pleasant walking trail, probably in a quieter or more natural area.
In a subordinate clause starting with där (“where”), Swedish word order is:
[subordinator] + [subject] + [negation] + [verb]
So:
- där det inte finns så många bilar …
- där (where)
- det (subject)
- inte (negation)
- finns (verb)
The patterns you suggest break that rule:
- där inte finns det … – ungrammatical word order
- där finns inte … – also wrong inside a där-clause; that kind of inversion is used for main clauses, not subordinate ones.
Compare:
- Main clause: Det finns inte så många bilar.
- Subordinate clause: … där det inte finns så många bilar.
Here det is a dummy subject, like English “there” in “there are not many cars”.
- det finns = there is / there are
So:
- Det finns så många bilar. = There are so many cars.
- Det finns inte så många bilar. = There aren’t that many cars.
- … där det inte finns så många bilar … = … where there aren’t so many cars …
The det doesn’t refer to any specific thing; it just fills the subject position in the finns construction.
- många bilar = many cars
- så många bilar = so many cars / that many cars
The phrase inte så många bilar softens the idea:
- inte många bilar = almost “not many cars at all” (sounds more absolute)
- inte så många bilar = “not that many cars” / “not too many cars” (more moderate)
So så here makes it sound less strict and more natural, like you want a place that isn’t very busy with cars, not necessarily one with almost zero cars.
Because of number and definiteness:
många requires a plural noun:
- många bilar = many cars
- (You can’t say många bil.)
After många, the noun is indefinite:
- många bilar = many cars (unspecified)
- många bilarna would be wrong; bilarna is definite: the cars.
So:
- inte så många bilar = not so many cars (in general)
– exactly what is needed here.
- väg = road (more general; often between places, or any kind of road/route where vehicles go)
- gata = street (typically within a town or city, between buildings)
In practice:
- på vägen – on the road
- på gatan – on the street
In this sentence, på vägen sounds more neutral and works whether you imagine a road in the countryside or in a town. på gatan would focus more on city streets. You could say:
- … där det inte finns så många bilar på gatan
– but then you’re clearly imagining an urban street scene.
Yes, you can omit på vägen, and the sentence is still correct and natural:
- Kan du föreslå en promenadstig där det inte finns så många bilar?
In context, people will automatically understand “cars on the road/nearby”.
Adding på vägen just makes that more explicit, a bit like saying “cars on the road” in English. Both versions are fine.
Both are polite, but Skulle du kunna … is a bit softer and more formal, like English:
- Kan du föreslå … ? – Can you suggest … ? (neutral, friendly)
- Skulle du kunna föreslå … ? – Could you suggest … ? (a little more polite)
So you could say:
- Skulle du kunna föreslå en promenadstig där det inte finns så många bilar på vägen?
Use Skulle du kunna … if you want to sound especially polite or careful, e.g. talking to a stranger.
Some common alternatives with almost the same meaning:
… där det är lite trafik.
… where there is little traffic.… där det inte är så mycket trafik.
… where there isn’t so much traffic.… där det är lugnt från bilar. (more colloquial)
… where it’s quiet in terms of cars.… där det inte kör så många bilar.
… where not so many cars drive.
All of these sound natural; your original version is also perfectly idiomatic.