den/det/de

It/they (Definite)

Level 1

Singular reference: en-word → den; ett-word → det.
Plural personal pronoun: subject de; object dem.

How It Works

In English, you use 'it' for singular things and 'they' for plural things. In Swedish, the choice of pronoun depends on the noun's gender and number.

These pronouns, den, det, and de, are used to refer back to a noun that has already been mentioned or is clear from the context. To use them correctly, you must know the noun's gender (en or ett) and whether it's singular or plural.

Here's the breakdown:

  • den: Replaces a singular en-word.
  • det: Replaces a singular ett-word.
  • de: Refers to a plural group as a subject, for either noun gender. Use dem as object: Jag ser dem.

Important Note on Pronunciation: Many speakers pronounce de and dem alike as dom. Pronunciation varies by region; de may also be pronounced di in Finland Swedish and some southern varieties. Neutral standard writing normally distinguishes subject de from object dem.

Det can refer to a whole situation, Hon vann. Det var roligt, and can be a formal subject, Det regnar. Those uses are separate from choosing den/det for the grammatical gender of an identified noun.

Examples (5)

  1. Jag har en ny bil. Den är röd.

    I have a new car. It is red.

    Word by Word: I have a new car. It is red.

    en bil is an en-word, so it is replaced by den.

  2. Ser du huset? Det är stort.

    Do you see the house? It is big.

    Word by Word: See you the house? It is big.

    ett hus is an ett-word, so it is replaced by det.

  3. Var är nycklarna? De är på bordet.

    Where are the keys? They are on the table.

    Word by Word: Where are the keys? They are on the table.

    nycklarna (the keys) is plural, so it is replaced by de.

  4. Jag köpte två äpplen. De var goda.

    I bought two apples. They were tasty.

    Word by Word: I bought two apples. They were good.

    två äpplen (two apples) is plural, so it is replaced by de.

  5. Gillar du filmen? Ja, jag gillar den.

    Do you like the movie? Yes, I like it.

    Word by Word: Like you the movie? Yes, I like it.

    filmen (en film) is an en-word, so the pronoun is den.

Common Mistakes

  • Using det when the intended reference is the particular en-noun itself.

    Jag läser en bok. Det är intressant.
    Jag läser en bok. Den är intressant.

    Den är intressant refers to the book itself. Det är intressant can instead refer to the activity or situation just mentioned, such as reading a book, so that sentence is not inherently wrong. Choose the pronoun for the intended reference.

  • Writing 'dom' instead of 'de' in formal text.

    Jag ser barnen. Dom leker.
    Jag ser barnen. De leker.

    For ordinary formal spelling, use the subject form De. Dom is established in informal writing and many spoken varieties; it is a register choice, not a different plural meaning.

How It Connects

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den/det/deLevel 1It/they (Definite)

Learn This First

To use 'den', 'det', and 'de' correctly, you must first understand Swedish noun genders (en/ett) and how nouns change in their plural and definite forms, as these pronouns directly correspond to those grammatical categories.

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Words in This Pattern

dende