"Vad är det som är så roligt?"

Translation: What is so funny?

[mokane3562]

What is the structure of this sentence? Can someone break it down for me?

[michaelling83]

A word to word translation would be "what is it that is so funny"? So the main clause is" vad är det ", and" som" leads a subordinate clause "som är så roligt", which describes "det" in the main clause.

[mokane3562]

Ahh I see! I forgot som has a number of uses.

[Steph927304]

Reminds me of our french "qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?"

[Andruoduo]

yes, I was about to write that ! I agree

[LyckligCyklop]

Me too!

[heathmar]

Would "vad är så roligt" have same meaning?

[gramphos]

Yes. However if someone is laughing for no apparent reason you would ask "Vad är det som är så roligt?" or possible "Vad är så roligt att du inte kan sluta skratta?" but not just "Vad är så roligt?"

[TobyBartels]

Why wouldn't you say that? Too formal? So short that people night not notice? Or …?

[pishcotek]

I would actually like to know that as well!

[bunny_mac]

And me! I dont understand why 'vad är så roligt' wouldn't be ok?

[StefanHild]

Maybe it should be accepted. As a native swedish speaker, I find nothing really wrong with it. Gramatically it is not 100% correct, but swedish people sometimes say like this.

Vad är så roligt?
Vad är det som är så roligt?

To remove the words "det som" makes the sentence incomplete but understandable.

[Patrick889093]

Why wouldn't you ask what is so funny? Is it impossible for them to understand the question ? Or is it more logical to always ask what is it that is so funny?

[Andruoduo]

A possible variation which is heavily used is : vad för något är så roligt ? BTW, but since I am a native I never learned enough Swedish grammar to know if that would be merely spoken Swedish, but I do not think so.

[mrgrimm1313]

Funny how? Funny like a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh?

[KittyKing3]

I see what you did there.

[Nero-Germanicus]

Why does it provide both 'fun' and 'funny' as translations for 'roligt'? They are not synonyms at all

[kendallkimosabe]

They're not always synonyms in English, this is true, but as I take it 'roligt' is an interchangeable word in the Swedish language for both 'fun' and 'funny'.

[jxxmxxj]

Why are the two instances of "är" pronounced with such different vowels here?

[Zmrzlina]

Just Astrid being a TTS robot, I suppose.

[jxxmxxj]

Ah, OK. Mainly was concerned if there was a linguistic reason -- but I assume from your remark that either pronunciation's fine. Thanks.

[j4cobgarby]

Is the TTS here correct? It sounds kind of bad

[rabdan3]

Can I say "What about it is so funny"?

[Yvonne006]

very philosophic

[Joe447174]

To check the pronunciation of the separate words, I tap each word separately. This helps to pump the pronunciation into my skull. But this time both the words "är" aren't spoken at all. ERROR maybe?

[Kunducs]

Would it still be okay without "det som är"?