Breakdown of Kan du berätta för mig vad du ser i min handflata?
du
you (singular)
vad
what
i
in
kunna
to be able to, can
Questions & Answers about Kan du berätta för mig vad du ser i min handflata?
Why do we use just vad here instead of vad som?
In this sentence, vad (what) acts as the object in its part of the sentence—it is the thing that you see. When vad is the object, you just use vad. If it were the subject doing the action (like in "tell me what is happening"), you would have to use vad som.
Why does it say berätta för mig rather than just berätta mig?
In Swedish, the verb berätta (to tell or narrate) needs the preposition för when you mention the person receiving the information. Unlike the English "tell me", Swedish literally says "tell for me".
Where would I put inte if I wanted to say "what you do not see"?
You would say vad du inte ser. The phrase starting with vad is a subordinate clause (a dependent part of the sentence). In subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like inte (not) must be placed before the verb.
How is the word handflata constructed?
It is a compound word combining hand (hand) and flata (a flat surface). Swedish literally calls the palm the "flat of the hand".