Breakdown of Det sitter en gäst i hörnet som dricker kaffe.
en
a, an (common)
kaffet
the coffee
i
in
dricka
to drink
Questions & Answers about Det sitter en gäst i hörnet som dricker kaffe.
Why does this sentence use det sitter instead of det finns?
When introducing someone or something in a specific physical position, Swedish prefers to use det (there) together with a position verb like sitta (to sit), stå (to stand), or ligga (to lie). Because a guest is a person sitting in a chair, we use det sitter (literally "there sits") to say "there is a guest sitting". It creates a more vivid picture than just using det finns.
Could I just say En gäst sitter i hörnet instead?
You could, but Swedish strongly prefers to avoid starting a sentence with a completely new, indefinite subject (like en gäst). Using the presentational det acts as a soft introduction to the scene, exactly like saying "There is a..." in English instead of "A guest is sitting...".
Why is hörnet in the definite form (the corner) when the guest is indefinite (a guest)?
Even though the guest is new information being introduced, the corner belongs to the specific room the speaker is talking about (like the café they are in). Because that specific physical space is already established in the context, Swedish uses the definite form hörnet (the corner).
Why does the sentence use som for "who" instead of vem?