“This” and “these” Posted by Katja on Jan 19, 2012 in Swedish Language, Vocabulary
In Sweden there are lots of different dialects, and of course people use different words for the same thing. Something as simple as “this” you’ll find lots of variations of and for someone learning Swedish that can be a bit confusing. Especially if the word everybody is using in some areas is grammatically incorrect, and never before mentioned in a textbook.
| Swedish | English equivalent | |
|
detta denna det här |
this |
| Swedish | English equivalent | |
|
dessa domma de här dom här |
these |
Domma is said especially around Jönköping and maybe Stockholm a little bit(?) but is found in other parts of Sweden as well. This is not grammatically correct, but you will still hear many people say it.
So you know the en and ett rules by now right? Well, just to check. Table which is in Swedish bord. Ett bord, we do not say en bord. Detta and denna follow the same priciple, you would say “detta bord” and not “denna bord”. You could also say “det här bordet”.
Then to point out to somebody which tables you were meaning, you would say “dessa bord” meaning these tables (bord is a exception, we do not say bordar for several tables, we just say ett bord, flera bord. One table, several tables). The noun you use after “dessa” is in in-definitive plural form, like dessa stolar (these chairs) dessa dörrar (these doors) etc.
Domma is used when you are actually supposed to be using dessa.
De här is strictly speaking only supposed to be used in written language but when people talk they still pronounce it as de här. This is maybe illogical but we don’t say de här bord, instead we say de här borden. So we specify by using bord-en or for one table, or det här bordet. Det här works for all nouns, regardless if it is a en or ett.
Dom här is used the same way as de här, so no worries there 🙂
Short dialog
Ett par går runt i IKEA och tittar på bord.
A couple are walking round in IKEA looking at tables.
Person A) Dom där borden är fina.
Person B) Dom här? (pekar)
Person A) Nej, dessa. (pekar på ett annat bord)
Person B) Jaha. Ja, jag tycker om dom också.
| Swedish | English equivalent | |
|
bord peka fin (plu. fina) annat tycka (progressiv form; tycker) också jaha |
table to point nice other, different to think, like as well, too oh |
Next time you hear some Swedish see if you can hear the differences.
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Comments:
Kerstin Carlson-Stjernberg:
You have forgotten to mention the word “den här” as “alternative” to “det här”. Also denna and especially dessa are mostly only used in written “Standard Swedish” (if there is such a thing(, whereas “den/det” här and “de här” is also used in colloquial, spoken language.
Katja:
@Kerstin Carlson-Stjernberg Actually those words are very commonly used in some parts of Sweden, in and around the Karlskrona area especially, and definitively not only in written language 🙂
Eva-Maria Rosengren:
Please note that “domma” is an oral dialect expression that you don’t find in a written text unless it is qouting some one.
MichiganLady:
Swedish Blog is on a roll lately–some hugely useful blogs! Tack så mycket.
Eva-Maria Rosengren:
I have never found the word “domma” written down and explained in a Swedish Grammar except as stated as an example of oral dialect form of “de här/dessa”. In various parts, not only around Karlskrona but all over the west coast area as well, of Sweden this form is used as the norm when talking and you are looked upon as a “dinosaur” if you don’t use it when you talk.
Eva-Maria Rosengren:
I have never seen “domma” in a Swedish Grammar except maybe in context where it explained as an oral dialect word meaning “dessa/de här”. The expression is widely used in more places than the Karlskrona-area, for instance all over the west coast you hear it all the time as the norm, if you use “dessa/de här” you are looked upon as a “dinosaur”. My comment above was just underlining the fact that “domma” is an oral expression.