Breakdown of Vi låter huset renoveras av byggföretaget.
vi
we
huset
the house
av
of, by / from (cause)
låta
to let, allow
Questions & Answers about Vi låter huset renoveras av byggföretaget.
In English, we use a past participle for this, like 'renovated'. Why does Swedish use the infinitive renoveras?
Swedish forms this causative structure differently. It uses låta (let/have) + object (huset) + the passive infinitive (renoveras). It helps to think of it literally as 'We let the house be renovated'.
What would it mean if I forgot the -s on the end of the verb and said Vi låter huset renovera?
Because renovera is the active infinitive, the sentence would literally mean 'We are letting the house renovate [something]', as if the house itself were doing the work! The -s turns it into the passive infinitive so the house receives the action.
Why do we use av before byggföretaget?
Because the main verb is in the passive voice (renoveras). In Swedish passive constructions, the agent (the one actually performing the action) is always introduced by the preposition av, which corresponds to 'by' in English.
Can I rewrite this sentence in the active voice without changing the meaning?
Yes! You can shift the focus by making the company the object of låter: Vi låter byggföretaget renovera huset. This translates literally to 'We let the construction company renovate the house' but is a very common way to express the exact same causative meaning.