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"?