In a previous lesson, you learned to use det finns to say "there is" or "there are". However, when describing a scene—like a café or a waiting room—Swedish often prefers to paint a clearer picture by describing how something is positioned in that space. We do this by pairing the dummy subject det with verbs of position.
The verbs of position
Instead of a generic "is", Swedish frequently uses three specific verbs to describe location:
- sitta (to sit): Used for people or animals that are sitting.
- stå (to stand): Used for vertical objects, things with legs (like tables), or things resting upright on their base.
- ligga (to lie): Used for flat or horizontal objects resting on their side (like a newspaper or a tray).
Introducing new subjects
To introduce a new person or thing into a scene, start your sentence with det followed by the correct position verb. This literally translates to "There sits..." or "There stands...", though in English we usually just say "There is a [thing] sitting/standing/lying...".
| There is a tired man sitting in the empty waiting room. | Det sitter en trött man i det tomma väntrummet. |
| There is a menu standing on the counter. | Det står en meny på disken. |
| There is an empty tray lying on the table. | Det ligger en tom bricka på bordet. |
Asking questions
To ask if something is located somewhere, use standard Swedish question word order: simply swap the subject (det) and the position verb so the verb comes first.
| Is there an empty glass standing on the tray? | Står det ett tomt glas på brickan? |
| Are there two menus lying on the counter? | Ligger det två menyer på disken? |
The V2 rule with presentational "det"
As always, the V2 rule dictates that the verb must be the second element in a main clause. If you start your sentence with an adverb or a time word like nu (now), the verb must immediately follow it. The dummy subject det is then pushed to the third position.
| Now there is no one sitting in the waiting room. | Nu sitter det ingen i väntrummet. |