Admit it. You’ve been on Facebook and thought the exact same thing as everyone starts fawning over the newest addition to your world. It happens. Don’t be ashamed. But don’t say it out loud either. Unless you can say it in another language that the parents might not understand. Like Swedish. So let’s learn how to make exclamatory proclamations like “what an ugly baby!”

Just like in English, we can exclaim our surprise or love or disdain or whatever in Swedish using the “what a/n” or “how adjective” form. It’s really pretty straightforward. We can choose between vad or vilken/vilket/vilka.

If we choose vad, we’ll start with vad, add an adjective or adverb, and then maybe include a subordinate clause (if we feel like it). For example:

• Vad kul! (How fun!)
• Vad skönt att höra! (How nice to hear!)
• Vad stor du har blivit! (How big you’ve become!)

You’ll notice that all of the examples follow the rule vad + adjective or adverb + subordinate clause (if we need it). Vad kul doesn’t need a subordinate clause so we just leave it be.

Our next option is vilken/vilket/vilka. Here we follow a similar pattern. This time we’ll start with vilken/vilket/vilka add an adjective if we need it, throw in a noun, and maybe end with a subordinate clause. It sounds complicated. It’s not. Check it out:

• Vilken fin hund! (What a nice dog!)
• Vilket härligt väder! (What lovely weather!)
• Vilka snygga skor du har! (What nice shoes you have!)

As usual, vilken/vilket/vilka is going to depend on en, ett, or plural. En hund, ett hus, två skor. Vilken, vilket, vilka. But the rules stand. Vilken/vilket/vilka + adjective (if we want it) + noun + subordinate clause (if we need it).

Not bad, right? Now you can start making grand exclamations in Swedish. Or just petty ones about all those baby pictures on Facebook. And so, finally, what an ugly baby… vilken ful bebis!