Using "som" as an Object
You've learned how to use som (that/which/who) as the subject of a relative clause. It can also act as the object—the person or thing receiving the action.
| The flea market that we visited yesterday was good. | Loppisen som vi besökte igår var bra. |
| The piece of jewelry that we bought is very valuable. | Smycket som vi köpte är mycket värdefullt. |
| The antique shop that she has opened is small. | Antikaffären som hon har öppnat är liten. |
Prepositions at the End
Many common Swedish verbs pair with prepositions to create a specific meaning, such as leta efter (to look for), titta på (to look at), and samla på (to collect).
When these verbs appear in a relative clause, Swedish leaves the preposition dangling at the end of the phrase. Unlike in very formal English (e.g., "the vase for which you are looking"), you can never place the preposition in front of som in Swedish.
| The vase that you are looking for is not here. | Vasen som du letar efter är inte här. |
| Are the things that you collect valuable? | Är sakerna som du samlar på värdefulla? |
| I like the vase that you are looking at. | Jag tycker om vasen som du tittar på. |
Adding "inte" to Relative Clauses
Relative clauses are a type of subordinate (dependent) clause. Because of this, they follow a special Swedish word order rule: sentence adverbs like inte must come before the verb.
Notice how inte is placed directly between the subject of the relative clause (jag, han) and the verb (köpte, sålde):
| The old vase that I didn't buy was genuine. | Den gamla vasen som jag inte köpte var äkta. |
| Did you see the gold that he didn't sell? | Såg du guldet som han inte sålde? |