Definite articles

Foundations

Swedish adds an ending to a noun to make it mean 'the'. For example, 'en bil' (a car) becomes 'bilen' (the car).

How It Works

In English, you use the word 'the' to talk about a specific noun (the car, the house). In Swedish, this concept is usually handled by adding a suffix to the noun itself. This is one of the most fundamental concepts in Swedish grammar.

How it works:
The definite suffix depends on the noun's grammatical gender and number (singular/plural).

  • Singular Nouns: For singular nouns, the suffix is typically based on the indefinite article ('en' or 'ett').
    - For en-words, you add -en. (en bil → bilen)
    - For ett-words, you add -et. (ett hus → huset)
  • Plural Nouns: For plural nouns, the definite suffix is added to the plural form. The most common definite suffix is -na.
    - bilar (cars) → bilarna (the cars)
    There are other endings as well. For example, some ett-words that don't change in the plural use -en.
    - hus (houses) → husen (the houses)

This explanation provides the basic concept. For the specific rules on how to form the definite singular and plural, see the dedicated grammar patterns.

You will also encounter a concept called the double definite when an adjective is used, but for now, focus on understanding this basic suffix system.

After a final vowel, many nouns use a shorter suffix: en flicka → flickan and ett äpple → äpplet. Learn each noun’s forms together.

Examples (5)

  1. en bil → bilen

    a car → the car

    For 'en' words, the indefinite article 'en' is replaced by the suffix '-en' to make it definite.

  2. ett hus → huset

    a house → the house

    For 'ett' words, the indefinite article 'ett' is replaced by the suffix '-et' to make it definite.

  3. bilar → bilarna

    cars → the cars

    For most plural nouns, the suffix '-na' is added to the indefinite plural form to create the definite plural form.

  4. Jag ser bilen.

    I see the car.

    Word by Word: I see car-the.

  5. Huset är stort.

    The house is big.

    Word by Word: House-the is big.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the English word 'the' in a Swedish sentence.

    Jag ser the bil.
    Jag ser bilen.

    Use the Swedish noun’s definite form here: bilen. Swedish also has separate definite articles den, det and de, especially before adjectives, but the English word the does not belong in this sentence.

  • Forgetting to add the definite suffix when talking about a specific noun.

    Var är bok?
    Var är boken?

    When asking 'Where is the book?', you are referring to a specific book. Therefore, you must use the definite form 'boken' (bok + en).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Definite articlesFoundations

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Patterns that build on this one.

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