Breakdown of Det finns ett vackert bord av trä i rummet.
ett
a, an (neuter)
bordet
the table
rummet
the room
i
in
vacker
beautiful
av
of, by / from (cause)
det
there (dummy subject)
finnas
to exist, to be there
trä
wood
Questions & Answers about Det finns ett vackert bord av trä i rummet.
Why do we use av in ett bord av trä?
In Swedish, the preposition av is used to express what material something is made out of. While English often just puts the material before the noun (like 'a wood table'), Swedish prefers saying 'a table of wood' (ett bord av trä).
Is there a difference between trä and träd?
Yes, and it is a very common mix-up! Trä refers to the material 'wood' or 'timber'. Ett träd (with a d at the end) means 'a tree'. Since the table is made of the material, we use trä here.
Why does the adjective have a -t in ett vackert bord?
Because bord (table) is an ett-word. When describing a singular ett-word with an indefinite article ('a' or 'an'), the adjective must agree by taking a -t at the end. If it were an en-word like en stol (a chair), it would just be en vacker stol.
Why does the sentence start with Det finns instead of 'Där är'?
Det finns (literally 'it is found') is the standard Swedish way to say 'there is' or 'there are' when stating that something exists. You only use där är when you are literally pointing to a physical location, like 'There is the table!' (Där är bordet!).
Learn Det finns ett vackert bord av trä i rummet and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free