Breakdown of Vägen är rak i flera kilometer.
vara
to be
vägen
the road
flera
several
kilometern
the kilometer
rak
straight
Questions & Answers about Vägen är rak i flera kilometer.
How would I rewrite this sentence using stylistic fronting to emphasize that the road is straight?
To emphasize the adjective, you can move it to the front of the sentence. Because Swedish is a V2 language (the verb must come second), this swaps the subject and verb: Rak är vägen i flera kilometer. This gives a very narrative or literary feel, putting the spotlight right on the continuous straightness of the road.
Why do we use i instead of för to mean 'for' here?
In Swedish, the preposition i is used to express an ongoing duration of time or a continuous stretch of distance. While English uses 'for' (like 'for three hours' or 'for several kilometers'), translating that directly to för is a common mistake. Whenever you mean 'for a continuous stretch of', you should use i.
Since it says flera (several), why doesn't kilometer have a plural ending?
In Swedish, many standard units of measurement and weight that end in a consonant, such as kilometer, mil, or gram, have the exact same form in the singular and the indefinite plural. So en kilometer simply becomes flera kilometer without adding any plural suffix.
Would the adjective change if we were talking about a neuter noun, like spåret (the track)?
Yes. Because vägen is an en-word, the predicative adjective rak takes its base form. If the subject were an ett-word like spåret, the adjective would need to agree with it by adding a -t: Spåret är rakt i flera kilometer.
Learn Vägen är rak i flera kilometer and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free