Lukten av kaffe gör mig lugn.

the coffee

Breakdown of Lukten av kaffe gör mig lugn.

• mig: me
• lugn: calm
• göra: to make

Questions & Answers about Lukten av kaffe gör mig lugn.

Why is it Lukten and not just Lukt at the beginning of the sentence?

Lukten is the definite form of lukt (lukt = smell, lukten = the smell).

In Swedish, when you talk about something in a general, specific, or known way, you very often use the definite form, even where English might use no article or just a general noun.

So:

• Lukten av kaffe gör mig lugn.
  = The smell of coffee makes me calm.

Using just Lukt av kaffe would sound incomplete or ungrammatical. You need that definite ending -en because you’re talking about the specific smell of coffee in general, not smell in an abstract, mass sense.

What is the difference between lukt and doft? Could I say Doften av kaffe?

Both lukt and doft mean “smell,” but they have different nuances:

• lukt: neutral or even slightly negative. Any smell, good or bad.
• doft: usually positive, pleasant smell, like scent or fragrance.

So:

• Lukten av kaffe – neutral, just “the smell of coffee.”
• Doften av kaffe – hints more that it’s a pleasant, nice smell.

In everyday speech, many people would prefer Doften av kaffe for coffee, because coffee is usually considered to smell good. Both are grammatically correct.

Why is it av kaffe and not av kaffet or something with på?