Det is an important word in Swedish. It’s a common word with a lot of uses and a few different meanings. If you missed Steve’s posts about this and that, definitely click on through to find out more about how det is used:
Swedish Grammar: This and that, Part 1
Swedish Grammar: This and that, Part 2

Det can also be used when answering yes and no questions in Swedish. As you become more comfortable with the language, you’re going to find that you want to nuance your speech more. One way of doing that is to fine-tune how you respond to people when answering questions.

Many students first learn to respond to yes and no questions by simply repeating the question back to the person who asked in an affirmative way.

Gillar du godis? (Do you like candy?)
Ja, jag gillar godis. (Yes, I like candy)

Hatar du grönsaker? (Do you hate vegetables?)
Nej, jag hatar inte grönsaker. (No, I don’t hate vegetables.)

It’s a great way to learn the basics of the language and a great way to make yourself understood. But it also can become somewhat elementary as you repeat over and over the same words that you just heard.

Just as in English, we would not necessarily always include the word “like” and “hate” in the examples above. Instead we might respond to someone asking us if we like candy: yes, I do.

We can respond in similar fashion in Swedish using the word det. The formula is relatively simple. Start with your yes or no response. Add det. Add a verb. Add a subject. Maybe add a negative. Let’s look at a few examples:
Är du full? (Are you drunk?)
Ja + det + är + jag. (Yes, I am.)
Nej + det + är + jag + inte. (No, I am not.)

Har du en hund? (Do you have a dog?)
Ja + det + har + jag. (Yes, I do.)
Nej + det +har + jag + inte. (No, I do not.)

Försöker ni tala svenska? (Are you all trying to speak Swedish?)
Ja + det + gör + vi. (Yes, we are.)
Nej + det + gör + vi +inte. (No, we are not.)

Pretty easy, right? But you may have noticed that the verb switched. In our first two examples, we just re-used är and har in our response. But in the third example, we used gör instead of försöker. For the most part, when you’re responding in this way, you’re going to replace the original verb with the verb göra. Är and har are a couple of exceptions (kan, ska, vill are a few more exceptions).

Let’s practice with more examples:
Är du kär i henne? (Are you in love with her?)
Ja, det är jag. (Yes, I am.)
Nej, det är jag inte. (No, I am not.)

Har du kul? (Are you having fun?)
Ja, det har jag. (Yes, I am.)
Nej, det har jag inte. (No, I am not.)

Vill du skrika? (Do you want to scream?)
Ja, det vill jag. (Yes, I do.)
Nej, det vill jag inte. (No, I do not.)

Känner du honom? (Do you know him?)
Ja, det gör jag. (Yes, I do.)
Nej, det gör jag inte. (No, I do not.)

Kör du bil? (Do you drive?)
Ja, det gör jag. (Yes, I do.)
Nej, det gör jag inte. (No, I do not.)

Now you’re ready to impress your Swedish friends with a more advanced way of responding to their questions. Good luck!