Breakdown of Glaset står på kanten av bordet.
bordet
the table
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
glaset
the glass
av
of, by / from (cause)
stå
to stand
kanten
the edge
Questions & Answers about Glaset står på kanten av bordet.
Why do we use av here instead of a compound word like bordskanten?
You actually can use the compound word bordskanten, which is very common! However, using kanten av bordet with the preposition av is another natural way to express a specific part of a whole physical object. You will often hear both forms used to mean the exact same thing.
Could I use till instead of av to mean 'of' in this sentence?
No. While till is used for 'of' when talking about relationships between people (like en vän till mig) or ownership, it doesn't work for physical parts. For non-proportional physical parts of an object, like the edge of a table or the roof of a house, av is the correct preposition.
Why does the sentence use står instead of är to say the glass 'is' on the table?
In Swedish, it is much more natural to use positional verbs like står (stands), ligger (lies), or sitter (sits) rather than just är (is) when describing where a physical object is located. Because a glass has a flat base and rests upright, it står.
Why are both kanten and bordet in the definite (the) form?
Just like in English ('the edge of the table'), we are talking about a specific edge of a specific table. When using av to connect a part to its whole, both nouns usually take their definite endings.
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