A1 Swedish GrammarArticles (Definite & Indefinite)
Learn how Swedish articles work - including the unique feature where definite articles are attached as suffixes to nouns. Understand the two-gender system (en/ett) and how it affects all articles and adjectives.
1The Two-Gender System: En and Ett
Swedish has two grammatical genders: common gender (using 'en') and neuter gender (using 'ett'). Unlike German with three genders, Swedish simplifies things with just two. About 75% of nouns are en-words, making ett-words the minority. Unfortunately, there's no foolproof rule to determine gender - you need to memorize it with each noun. However, there are some patterns: most living things and many everyday objects are en-words, while many abstract concepts and borrowed words tend to be ett-words.
Indefinite Articles
| Gender | Article | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common (en) | en | en bok | a book |
| Common (en) | en | en stol | a chair |
| Neuter (ett) | ett | ett hus | a house |
| Neuter (ett) | ett | ett barn | a child |
Examples
Jag har en hund.
I have a dog.
hund is an en-word
Det finns ett äpple.
There is an apple.
äpple is an ett-word
Hon köper en bil.
She buys a car.
bil is an en-word
Vi bor i ett litet hus.
We live in a small house.
hus is an ett-word
2Definite Articles: The Suffix System
Here's what makes Swedish unique: instead of placing 'the' before the noun like in English, Swedish attaches the definite article to the END of the noun as a suffix. En-words add -en or -n, and ett-words add -et or -t. The suffix depends on whether the noun ends in a consonant or a vowel. This takes practice but becomes natural with exposure.
Definite Suffixes
| Gender | Ending | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| En-word | consonant | -en | bok → boken (the book) |
| En-word | vowel | -n | skola → skolan (the school) |
| Ett-word | consonant | -et | hus → huset (the house) |
| Ett-word | vowel | -t | äpple → äpplet (the apple) |
Examples
Boken är intressant.
The book is interesting.
en bok → boken
Huset är stort.
The house is big.
ett hus → huset
Flickan springer.
The girl runs.
en flicka → flickan
Barnet sover.
The child sleeps.
ett barn → barnet
3Common En-Words to Know
Most everyday Swedish nouns are en-words. Learning these common words with their gender will help you build correct sentences. Try to always learn the article together with the noun. People, animals, and many tangible objects tend to be en-words. This includes most profession names, family members, and body parts.
Common En-Words
| Swedish | Definite | English |
|---|---|---|
| en man | mannen | a/the man |
| en kvinna | kvinnan | a/the woman |
| en dag | dagen | a/the day |
| en tid | tiden | a/the time |
| en väg | vägen | a/the road/way |
| en fråga | frågan | a/the question |
Examples
Mannen arbetar.
The man works.
en man → mannen
Dagen är vacker.
The day is beautiful.
en dag → dagen
Jag ställer en fråga.
I ask a question.
indefinite: en fråga
Vägen är lång.
The road is long.
en väg → vägen
4Common Ett-Words to Know
While fewer in number, ett-words include many important everyday nouns. Countries, languages, and many borrowed international words often belong to this category. Memorizing the most common ett-words will prevent many mistakes. Pay special attention to these as learners often assume all nouns are en-words.
Common Ett-Words
| Swedish | Definite | English |
|---|---|---|
| ett år | året | a/the year |
| ett ord | ordet | a/the word |
| ett land | landet | a/the country |
| ett namn | namnet | a/the name |
| ett arbete | arbetet | a/the work/job |
| ett problem | problemet | a/the problem |
Examples
Året går fort.
The year goes fast.
ett år → året
Vad är ordet?
What is the word?
ett ord → ordet
Sverige är ett vackert land.
Sweden is a beautiful country.
indefinite: ett land
Namnet är svårt.
The name is difficult.
ett namn → namnet