vad...är
Vad...är Construction
The Vad...är construction, known as a pseudo-cleft sentence, splits a simple sentence to highlight one specific part. It's equivalent to saying 'The thing that... is...' or 'What... is...' in English.
How It Works
The Vad...är construction is a type of cleft sentence called a 'pseudo-cleft'. The term 'cleft' means it 'cleaves' or splits a single clause into two parts for emphasis. It's 'pseudo' because the initial vad-clause functions as a single noun phrase (the subject of är), unlike the som-clause in a true cleft sentence (Det är...som).
Function and Information Structure
This structure is used to manage information flow, separating what is already known or assumed (the presupposition) from the new, important information (the focus).
- Presupposition (Known): The
vad-clause.Vad jag vill ha...(What I want...) presents wanting something as the background for identifying what it is; the listener need not literally have known this beforehand. - Focus (New/Emphasized): The element after
är....är en kopp te.(...is a cup of tea.) This is the key piece of information being provided.
Grammatical Notes
- The
vad-clause is a subordinate clause, so a separate subject precedes the finite verb (vad jag vill). Sentence adverbs such asintenormally also precede that finite verb (vad jag inte vill). See the BIFF rule. - The identifying link is normally a form of
vara, such asäror pastvar. Simply putting any copular verb after a free relative clause does not make a pseudo-cleft: the following element must identify the value of the background description. - The emphasized element (focus) can be a noun phrase, a prepositional phrase, an infinitive clause, or a finite clause, as in
Vad jag menar är att vi måste vara försiktiga.
Comparison with Det är...som
Both constructions add emphasis, but with a subtle difference.
Vad jag köpte var en bok.(What I bought was a book.) - This answers the implicit question "What did you buy?". It feels like it's specifying the 'what'.Det var en bok som jag köpte.(It was a book that I bought.) - This answers the implicit question "Was it a magazine you bought?". It feels like it's correcting or specifying from a range of options.
These are possible conversational uses, not exclusive answer types. Either construction can carry contrastive focus when the context and stress support it.
Examples (5)
- Vad jag menar är att vi måste vara försiktiga.
What I mean is that we have to be careful.
Word by Word: What I mean is that we must be careful.
- Vad som förvånade mig mest var hans ärlighet.
What surprised me the most was his honesty.
Word by Word: What that surprised me most was his honesty.
Vadsupplies the subject meaning inside the relative clause, so the markersomfollows it. The identifying focus of the full sentence ishans ärlighet. - Vad vi behöver nu är en tydlig plan.
What we need now is a clear plan.
Word by Word: What we need now is a clear plan.
- Vad han är bäst på är att lyssna.
What he is best at is listening.
Word by Word: What he is best at is to listen.
The emphasized element here is an infinitive phrase:
att lyssna. - Vad som hände sedan blev aldrig känt.
What happened next never became known.
Word by Word: What that happened then became never known.
Contrast example: this is a grammatical free-relative subject (
Vad som hände sedan) followed by the ordinary predicateblev aldrig känt. It is not an identifying pseudo-cleft:käntdescribes whether the event became known rather than identifying what happened.
Common Mistakes
Using main clause word order (V2) inside the
vad-clause.Vad vill jag ha är en kopp kaffe.Vad jag vill ha är en kopp kaffe.The
vad-clause is a subordinate clause, so the subject (jag) must come before the verb (vill). It does not follow the V2 rule used in main clauses and questions.Confusing the structure with the
Det är...somcleft sentence.Vad jag behöver som är en ny telefon.Vad jag behöver är en ny telefon.Do not insert
sombetween the complete initial clauseVad jag behöverand the identifying main predicateär en ny telefon. This does not prohibitsominside a subject-relative clause:Vad som behövs är en ny telefonis grammatical.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn pseudo-clefts (Vad... är), you need to understand how to use 'vad' as a relative pronoun to form a clause that acts as the subject. Since this clause is subordinate, you must apply subordinate clause word order rules, and then use the verb 'är' to connect that clause to the specific noun or phrase you want to emphasize.
- vadWhat
The pseudo-cleft construction in Swedish is initiated by the interrogative/relative pronoun 'vad' (what) to introduce the focused clause.
Level 1 - det ärIt Is
Pseudo-clefts function as identifying sentences, requiring a firm grasp of the copula 'är' to link the 'vad'-clause to the focused information.
Level 2 - Subordinate clause word order
The 'vad'-clause in a pseudo-cleft is a subordinate clause, so the learner must understand subordinate clause word order (placing sentence adverbs before the verb).
Level 3
Related Patterns
- det är...somDet Är...som Construction
This is the other main type of cleft sentence (
Level 3Det är...som...). Both are used for emphasis but structure the information differently. It's essential to compare them to understand the nuances of focus in Swedish. - somThat/which/who
When relative
Level 2vadsupplies the subject meaning, use the markersom:Vad som förvånade mig var .... When another subject follows, as inVad jag behöver ..., no subject-linkingsomis needed. - Fronting for emphasis
Topicalization is another common way to change sentence emphasis by moving an element to the front. While structurally different, it serves a similar function in information structure as the pseudo-cleft, making it a relevant concept to compare.
Level 3
Practice vad...är in Bubblegum
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