Breakdown of Vasen som du letar efter är inte här.
vara
to be
du
you (singular)
här
here
inte
not
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
vasen
the vase
leta efter
to look for (physical items, everyday)
Questions & Answers about Vasen som du letar efter är inte här.
Why does the preposition efter come at the end of the clause som du letar efter?
In Swedish, when a relative clause uses a preposition (like efter), the preposition usually gets "stranded" at the end of the clause. It points back to som (which represents the vase). This works exactly like English: "The vase that you are looking for". Note that you cannot put efter before som in Swedish.
Can I skip the word som here, like we often skip "that" in English?
Yes! When som acts as the object of the relative clause (here, du is the subject doing the looking), you are allowed to drop it. Saying Vasen du letar efter är inte här is very common and completely correct in everyday Swedish.
Why does the main verb är come right after efter? Doesn't the verb have to be the second word?
What is the difference between just letar and letar efter?
The verb letar simply means the general action of searching. Whenever you want to mention the specific thing you are searching for, you must add the preposition efter. Because this sentence links back to the specific vase you are trying to find, we have to use letar efter.
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