Breakdown of Jag vill ha en kniv som är vassare.
jag
I
vara
to be
en
a, an (common)
ha
to have
vilja
to want to
kniven
the knife
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
vass
sharp
Questions & Answers about Jag vill ha en kniv som är vassare.
How do we form the comparative "sharper" from the base word "sharp"?
The base adjective for "sharp" is vass. To make it comparative ("sharper"), you just add -are to the end, giving us vassare. This is the regular way to form comparative adjectives in Swedish, which is very similar to adding "-er" in English!
Does vassare change depending on the gender or number of the noun?
No, and that is a great feature of comparative adjectives in Swedish! Once you add the -are ending, the word never changes. Whether it describes an en word, an ett word, or plural words, it stays exactly the same.
Why does the sentence say vill ha instead of just vill for "want"?
In Swedish, vill actually means "want to" and must be followed by a verb. When you want a physical thing, like a knife, you have to literally say that you "want to have" it. So, "I want a knife" translates to Jag vill ha en kniv.
What is the word som doing in this sentence?
Som translates to "that", "which", or "who" when it links a noun to a description. While in English you might sometimes say "I want a sharper knife", using en kniv som är vassare (a knife that is sharper) is a very natural and standard way to express this idea in Swedish.
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