den där/det där

That (Distal Demonstrative)

Level 1

Den där bilen = that car. Det där huset = that house. Use the noun’s definite form when a common noun follows.

How It Works

In Swedish, when you want to point out a particular object, often away from you (in English, 'that'), you use the phrases den där or det där.

The choice depends on the noun's gender:

  • Use den där for en-words (common gender).
  • Use det där for ett-words (neuter gender).

A very important rule is that the noun following 'den där' or 'det där' must be in its definite form. This is a feature of Swedish called "double determination" or "double definiteness".

Structure:
den där + en-word (definite form)
det där + ett-word (definite form)

Examples:

  • en bil (a car) → den där bilen (that car)
  • ett hus (a house) → det där huset (that house)

Compare this with den här/det här, which means 'this' and is used for things that are close.

Without a Following Noun
Den där vill jag ha can mean “I want that one”, referring to a known en-noun. Det där är svårt can refer to a whole situation. The definite-noun rule applies when a common noun actually follows.

Remembered and Evaluated Referents
Kommer du ihåg den där boken? can bring a previously known book back into the conversation. Depending on context and intonation, den där may also express emotional distance or disapproval; physical remoteness is not required.

Examples (4)

  1. Den där boken är min.

    That book is mine.

    Word by Word: The there book-the is mine.

  2. Jag vill ha det där äpplet.

    I want that apple.

    Word by Word: I want have the there apple-the.

  3. Kan du se den där fågeln i trädet?

    Can you see that bird in the tree?

    Word by Word: Can you see the there bird-the in tree-the?

  4. Det där huset är väldigt gammalt.

    That house is very old.

    Word by Word: The there house-the is very old.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to use the definite form of the noun.

    Jag ser den där bil.
    Jag ser den där bilen.

    After 'den där' or 'det där', the noun must always be in its definite form (e.g., 'bilen', not 'bil'). This is called 'double determination'.

  • Using the wrong gender ('den' for an 'ett' word or vice versa).

    Jag gillar det där katten.
    Jag gillar den där katten.

    Katt is an en-word, so the noun phrase is den där katten. When det där stands alone, it can also refer broadly to something or a situation, without an identifiable ett-noun.

How It Connects

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

den där/det därLevel 1That (Distal Demonstrative)

Learn This First

To use 'den där' and 'det där' correctly, you need to know the gender of the noun you are referring to (en-word vs. ett-word) and how to form the definite singular of that noun, as the demonstrative always triggers the definite suffix. Additionally, familiarity with the spatial adverb 'där' (there) helps conceptualize the distal meaning.

Words in This Pattern

denden