Breakdown of Cykelbanan är rensad så att vi kan laga den.
vara
to be
vi
we
den
it (common)
kunna
to be able to, can
så att
so that
laga
to mend, repair
cykelbanan
the bike lane
rensa
to clear
Questions & Answers about Cykelbanan är rensad så att vi kan laga den.
Why is the word rensad used here instead of rensat?
Past participles act like adjectives and must agree with the gender of the noun they describe. Because cykelbanan (the bike lane) is an en-word, the participle takes the en-form ending -ad. If we were describing an ett-word, it would be rensat.
How do we know to use the -ad ending for this verb, rather than just -d?
It depends on the verb group! The verb rensa (to clear) belongs to Group 1, which means its past tense ends in -ade (rensade). All Group 1 verbs form their en-word past participles with -ad. If it were a Group 2 verb, it would take a -d or -t ending instead.
Could I just say så instead of så att?
They have slightly different focuses. Så att specifically means "so that" or "in order to" (showing purpose). If you just say så, it translates more to "so" or "therefore". In casual spoken Swedish, people sometimes drop the att, but keeping it makes the intended purpose crystal clear.
Doesn't the verb laga mean "to cook"?
Yes, but usually only when paired with food (laga mat means "to cook food"). The verb's broader meaning is "to prepare" or "to fix". When you are talking about broken items like bikes, electronics, or clothes, laga translates to "to repair" or "to mend".
Why does the sentence end with den?
Den means "it" in this context. In Swedish, the word for "it" must match the gender of the noun it replaces. Since it refers back to cykelbanan (an en-word), we have to use den. If we were talking about repairing an ett-word like staketet (the fence), we would use det.
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