Learn Swedish: Vi lämnar inte dricks på kaféet eftersom vi får en kopp kallt kaffe. - We do not leave a tip at the café because we get a cup of cold coffee.

Vi lämnar inte dricks på kaféet eftersom vi får en kopp kallt kaffe.

We do not leave a tip at the café because we get a cup of cold coffee.

Breakdown of Vi lämnar inte dricks på kaféet eftersom vi får en kopp kallt kaffe.

Questions & Answers about Vi lämnar inte dricks på kaféet eftersom vi får en kopp kallt kaffe.

Why is the adjective kallt (with a -t) used here when it follows en kopp (an en-word)?

In Swedish measure-mass phrases, the adjective describes the mass noun, not the measure word. Even though you have en kopp (an en-word), the adjective is describing the kaffe inside it. Because kaffe is an ett-word, the adjective must take the ett-word ending, becoming kallt.

Why does dricks end in an -s? Is it a plural noun?

No, dricks (tip/gratuity) is an uncountable noun in Swedish. The -s is just a permanent part of the word, not a plural marker or a possessive. You use it as-is, much like the word "money" in English.

Why do we use the preposition på before kaféet instead of i (in)?

In Swedish, you generally use på for public venues, institutions, and events where you go for a specific purpose or service. This is why you say på kaféet, på restaurangen, or på banken.

eftersom introduces a subordinate clause. How would the word order change if we wanted to say "because we do not get"?

In a subordinate (dependent) clause, sentence adverbs like inte must come before the verb. This is often taught as the BIFF rule. It would become eftersom vi inte får.... Compare this to the main clause at the start of the sentence, where the verb comes before the negation (vi lämnar inte).