Word
Bordsgrannen skrattade sig hes vid ostbrickan.
Meaning
The table neighbor laughed himself hoarse at the cheese board.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Bordsgrannen skrattade sig hes vid ostbrickan.
sig
oneself / himself / herself / themselves
skratta
to laugh
vid
at, by
bordsgrannen
the table neighbor
Questions & Answers about Bordsgrannen skrattade sig hes vid ostbrickan.
Why is the reflexive pronoun sig used with the verb skrattade?
This is a resultative reflexive construction, which is the main focus of this lesson. The verb skratta (to laugh) isn't normally a reflexive verb. However, by pairing a reflexive pronoun like sig with an adjective like hes, you describe the physical result of the action. It shows that the neighbor laughed until they became hoarse.
Does the adjective hes need to agree with the subject in this type of construction?
Why use the preposition vid for 'at the cheese board'?
vid indicates being situated next to, by, or gathered around something. This is the natural preposition for sitting around food or a table. If you used på, it would sound like the neighbor was physically sitting on top of the cheese board!
Is bordsgranne a standard word in Swedish?
Yes, it is a very common and culturally useful compound word. A bordsgranne is the person sitting next to you, or sometimes directly across from you, at a dinner party, wedding, or any social gathering around a table.