Breakdown of De låter rummet tapetseras av hantverkaren.
de
they
rummet
the room
av
of, by / from (cause)
låta
to let, allow
Questions & Answers about De låter rummet tapetseras av hantverkaren.
Why does this sentence use låter instead of a Swedish verb for "have"?
In Swedish, the verb låta (which normally means "to let" or "to sound") is used to express arranging for someone else to do a task for you. While English says "have something done", Swedish effectively says "let something be done".
What is the grammatical form of tapetseras in this sentence?
It is the passive infinitive. The active infinitive is tapetsera (to wallpaper). By adding an -s, it becomes passive ("to be wallpapered"). The structure låta + object + passive infinitive is the standard way to say you are having a service done to an object.
Could I rephrase this sentence using an active verb instead?
Yes, but the word order and focus would change. You would say De låter hantverkaren tapetsera rummet (They let/have the tradesman wallpaper the room). Using the passive tapetseras keeps the focus on the room itself being improved, perfectly matching the English translation.
Why do we use av before hantverkaren?
In Swedish passive sentences, av acts just like "by" in English. It introduces the agent, which is the person actually performing the action. Even though the subject of the sentence (de) arranged the job, the tradesman is the one physically doing the wallpapering.