Adjectives can come either within nominal phrases (for example, en stor hund, ‘a large dog’) or in the predicate (for example, hunden är stor, ‘the dog is large‘). Depending on where in the syntax of a Swedish sentence the adjective comes, it must be conjugated according to different rules. Here are the rules for uncountable nouns, nouns that you cannot pluralize.

If you’re describing an uncountable noun such as mjölk (‘milk’) or vatten (‘water’) within a nominal phrase, you conjugate the adjective based on the gender of the noun it describes. For example:

billig_ mjölk – mjölk is of the common or ‘-n’-gender, so billig remains billig.

billigt vatten – vatten is of the neuter or ‘-t’-gender, so billig must be conjugated to billigt.

If you are talking about specific milk, the definite form requires the definite conjugation of the adjective, regardless of the gender of the noun it describes:

den billiga mjölken – the inexpensive milk

det billiga vattnet – the inexpensive water

In the predicate, however, one usually uses the neuter or ‘-t’-conjugation of the adjective when describing an unspecific instance of an uncountable noun, regardless of the noun’s gender:

Mjölk är billigt. – Milk is inexpensive.

Vatten är billigt. – Water is inexpensive.

Mjölk och vatten är billigt. – Milk and water are inexpensive.

However, again, if you are referring to specific milk or water, you conjugate adjectives in the predicate according to the gender of the nouns they describe:

Den mjölken är billig_. – That milk is inexpensive.

Det vattnet är billigt. – That water is inexpensive.

Den mjölken och det vattnet är billiga. – That milk and that water are inexpensive.

It may seem very complicated, but remember, övning ger färdighet – practice makes perfect! That is the key to learning anything, especially languages, so don’t forget it! 🙂