Breakdown of De vill provsmaka våra olivoljor.
de
they
vilja
to want to
vår
our (vår/vårt/våra)
olivoljan
the olive oil
provsmaka
to taste (sample)
Questions & Answers about De vill provsmaka våra olivoljor.
Wait, isn't olja (oil) an uncountable mass noun? Why is it pluralized as olivoljor here?
This is a great example of what Swedish calls sortpluralis (plural of sorts). While mass nouns like olja (oil) are normally uncountable, you can pluralize them when you are talking about different types, varieties, or portions of that substance. In this sentence, olivoljor specifically means different varieties of olive oil.
What is the difference between smaka and provsmaka?
Smaka is the general verb for to taste. Adding the prefix prov- (from prova, meaning to test or try) changes it to to sample or to taste-test. It implies trying a small amount of something to evaluate its quality, which is exactly what you do when comparing different olivoljor.
Why do we use våra instead of vår before olivoljor?
Possessive adjectives must always agree with the noun's number. Even though the singular word en olivolja uses the en-word possessive vår, we are using the plural noun olivoljor here. Therefore, the possessive pronoun must shift to the plural form våra.
How do we know which plural ending to use for a compound word like olivolja?
The gender and plural pattern of a Swedish compound noun are always dictated by its final root word. Here, the final word is olja (oil). Nouns ending in -a are almost always en-words that take an -or ending in the plural. Therefore, olivolja simply follows that rule and becomes olivoljor.
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