Questions & Answers about Vi tar bara en rulle kabel.
Why is there no word for 'of' in en rulle kabel?
In Swedish, when a measure or container is followed by the substance it holds, you don't use a preposition. They just sit side-by-side. So en rulle kabel is exactly like ett glas vatten (a glass of water).
How does this relate to the unit pricing rules from this lesson, like saying something costs 'per roll'?
They are related in that Swedish often drops prepositions where English uses them for measures. For quantities, you drop 'of' and say en rulle kabel (a roll of cable). For unit pricing, you drop words like 'per' or 'a' and use the definite singular noun, like femtio kronor rullen (fifty crowns a roll).
Why is kabel in the singular indefinite form here?
In this context, kabel is treated as an uncountable mass noun (the material of the cable) rather than individual countable cables. Even if you took three rolls, it would still be tre rullar kabel, keeping the substance singular.
Why does the English translation use 'are taking' when tar is simple present?
Swedish does not have a separate present continuous tense. The simple present verb tar covers both general facts ('we take') and actions happening right now ('we are taking'). You rely on context to know which one applies.