Breakdown of Jag vill vila på soffan.
jag
I
vila
to rest
vilja
to want to
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
Questions & Answers about Jag vill vila på soffan.
Why isn't there a word for "to" between vill and vila?
In Swedish, helping words like vill (want) or kan (can) are followed directly by the base form of the next verb. You do not use the Swedish word for "to" (att) here. It is just like saying "I must rest" in English!
Does vill mean "will" since they look so similar?
No, this is a very common trap! In Swedish, vill always means "want". If you want to say "will" to talk about something happening in the future, you usually use the word ska instead.
Where is the word for "the" in this sentence?
In Swedish, "the" is attached to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word before it. The base word is en soffa (a sofa). Since it already ends in a vowel, you just add -n to the end to get soffan (the sofa).
Why do we use på for the sofa?
Just like in English, Swedish uses på (on) when you are lying or sitting on top of a piece of furniture like a sofa or a bed. If you were sitting deep inside a cozy armchair, you might use i (in), but på is the standard choice for a sofa.