Breakdown of Varifrån är det som de importerar kaffet?
vara
to be
de
they
kaffet
the coffee
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
det
there (dummy subject)
importera
to import
varifrån
from where
Questions & Answers about Varifrån är det som de importerar kaffet?
Can I split varifrån into two separate words in this sentence?
Yes, it is very common in spoken Swedish to split it. You could say Var är det som de importerar kaffet ifrån? instead. Both mean exactly the same thing, but keeping varifrån together sounds slightly more formal.
Why is the phrase är det som used here instead of just asking Varifrån importerar de kaffet?
This uses a structure called a cleft sentence, which adds focus or emphasis. Just like in English when you ask 'Where is it that they import the coffee from?', using är det som heavily highlights the origin, compared to the more neutral Varifrån importerar de kaffet?
Why isn't the verb inverted after the question word, as in importerar de?
The main question clause is actually just Varifrån är det, where the verb is indeed inverted. The word som then introduces a subordinate clause. In Swedish subordinate clauses, the subject comes before the verb, giving us the straight word order de importerar.
Why is kaffet in the definite form here rather than just kaffe?
Using the definite kaffet shows the speakers are talking about a specific coffee, perhaps the one they are currently drinking or a brand they were just discussing. If they were asking about a company's general business practices, they would likely use the indefinite kaffe.
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