Breakdown of Du bränner duken om du ställer stearinljuset där.
du
you (singular)
där
there
ställa
to put
om
if, whether
Questions & Answers about Du bränner duken om du ställer stearinljuset där.
Why is the verb bränner used here instead of brinner?
Bränner is the transitive verb, meaning someone is doing the action to an object (burning the tablecloth). If the tablecloth itself were on fire without anyone doing it to it, you would use the intransitive verb brinner (for example, duken brinner). Many transitive verbs in Swedish are formed by changing the vowel of their intransitive partner.
Why use ställer for putting the candle down instead of lägger or sätter?
You use ställer because a candle stands upright. In Swedish, the verb you use to place an object depends on its position. You use ställer for standing things, lägger for things lying flat, and sätter for things that are seated or attached to a surface.
The English translation says "will burn", but isn't bränner in the present tense?
Yes! In Swedish, the present tense is very commonly used to express the future, especially when there is a condition (like the om or "if" clause used here) or a context clue that makes it clear the event hasn't happened yet.
Why is the word for candle stearinljuset rather than just ljuset?
While you can often just say ljuset in context, the word ljus by itself just means "light". Adding stearin (a common type of candle wax) makes it specifically a wax candle, which avoids any confusion with electric lights or sunlight.