Jag kan inte lyfta bordet själv.

I cannot lift the table by myself.

Breakdown of Jag kan inte lyfta bordet själv.

• jag: I
• kunna: can
• inte: not
• själv: by myself

Questions & Answers about Jag kan inte lyfta bordet själv.

Why is it bordet and not just bord?

Because Swedish usually puts the definite article on the end of the noun.

• bord = table
• bordet = the table

So in this sentence, bordet means the table, not just a table/table.

How do I know that bord takes -et and not -en?

Swedish nouns belong to two main genders:

• en words
• ett words

Bord is an ett word: ett bord.
That is why the definite singular form is bordet.

Compare:

• en stol → stolen
• ett bord → bordet

Unfortunately, you usually have to learn whether a noun is an en word or an ett word.

Why does inte come after kan?