When describing gigantic sea creatures on a whale-watching safari, you will often need to talk about exact measurements like lengths, weights, ages, and distances.
Specification with på
In English, you specify measurements using the preposition "of" (e.g., "a length of 15 meters"). In Swedish, you connect the attribute and the measurement using the preposition på.
| of (specifying measurement) | på |
| We saw a whale with a length of 15 meters. | Vi såg en val med en längd på 15 meter. |
| During the safari, we kept a safety distance of 100 meters. | Under safarin höll vi ett säkerhetsavstånd på 100 meter. |
Describing Marine Life
This pattern works for any measurable attribute, from an animal's lifespan (livslängd) to its weight (vikt).
| The dolphin has a lifespan of 50 years. | Delfinen har en livslängd på 50 år. |
| The gigantic whale, whose age we did not know, had a weight of 40 tons. | Den gigantiska valen, vars ålder vi inte visste, hade en vikt på 40 ton. |
Speed and Height
You will also use på to specify speeds and heights:
| A gigantic wave with a height of 5 meters reached the boat. | En gigantisk våg med en höjd på 5 meter nådde båten. |
| It is the fin that gives the dolphin a speed of 60 kilometers per hour. | Det är fenan som ger delfinen en hastighet på 60 kilometer i timmen. |
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