To ask "what kind of" or "what sort of" in Swedish, use the special question structure vad ... för. While it literally translates to "what ... for," it is the standard way to ask about the type or variety of something.
| what kind of (in 'vad ... för') | vad ... för |
The split structure
The phrase vad ... för splits apart in a sentence:
- Vad starts the question.
- The verb, subject, and any other parts of the action come in the middle.
- för sits immediately before the noun.
Word order: Vad + [verb] + [subject] + ... + för + [noun]?
| What kind of bouquet do you want? | Vad vill du ha för bukett? |
| What kind of bud is that? | Vad är det för knopp? |
Using it with any noun
You can use this construction regardless of the noun's gender, and whether you are asking about a single item (like a lily) or plural items (like roses). The word för acts as an anchor right in front of the noun.
| What kind of lily is the customer buying? | Vad köper kunden för lilja? |
| What kind of roses do you have today? | Vad har ni för rosor idag? |
Longer sentences
If your sentence has a longer verb phrase (like a verb with a preposition) or additional context at the end, the rule doesn't change. Keep för glued directly to the noun you are asking about.
| What kind of decoration is she looking for? | Vad letar hon efter för dekoration? |
| What kind of arrangements are you making for the wedding? | Vad gör ni för arrangemang till bröllopet? |
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