{"id":5448,"date":"2012-05-28T23:59:31","date_gmt":"2012-05-28T23:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/?p=5448"},"modified":"2012-05-29T01:16:06","modified_gmt":"2012-05-29T01:16:06","slug":"the-swedish-definite-vs-indefinite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/the-swedish-definite-vs-indefinite\/","title":{"rendered":"The Swedish Definite vs. Indefinite"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been quite a while since we discussed definite vs. indefinite nouns so I thought I\u2019d dust it off for any of you new Swedish language learners. If you\u2019d like, feel free to check out our two part series: <a title=\"En or Ett\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/en-or-ett\/\">En or Ett<\/a> and <a title=\"En or Ett Continued\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/en-or-ett-continued\/\">En or Ett Continued<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, we\u2019re all quite familiar with the idea of definite vs. indefinite nouns. In English, it\u2019s the simple difference between <em>a dog<\/em> and <em>the dog<\/em>. No problem at all, right? Right.<\/p>\n<p>In Swedish though, we like to switch things up a little bit. We have two different words to choose from in the indefinite: <em>en<\/em> or <em>ett<\/em>. Both are used when trying to describe the indefinite. For example <em>a dog<\/em> is <em>en hund<\/em> in Swedish. <em>A table<\/em> is <em>ett bord<\/em> in Swedish. Not too bad really. Unfortunately, there is no rule as to when to use <em>en<\/em> or <em>ett<\/em>. That being said, the vast majority of nouns in Swedish are <em>en<\/em> words, so when in doubt (or on your Swedish test), guess <em>en. <\/em>Below is a very eclectic list of 15 vocabulary words. You\u2019ll notice there is a decent mix of <em>en<\/em> and <em>ett<\/em> words below:<\/p>\n<p>ett flygplan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 an airplane<br \/>\nen flygplats\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 an airport<br \/>\nett omr\u00e5de\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 an area<br \/>\nen bokhylla\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a bookshelf<br \/>\nett genombrott \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 a breakthrough<br \/>\nen byggnad\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a building<br \/>\nett bolag\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a company, a corporation<br \/>\nen dag \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a day<br \/>\nen dr\u00f6m\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a dream<br \/>\nett faktum\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a fact<br \/>\nen familj\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a family<br \/>\nen brandk\u00e5r\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a fire department<br \/>\nett hj\u00e4rta\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a heart<br \/>\nett sjukhus\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 a hospital<br \/>\nen timme\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 an hour<\/p>\n<p>Now we know how to say a few new words in Swedish, but what if we want to talk about <em>the airplane<\/em>? It\u2019s not as simple as just adding <em>the<\/em> at the beginning of the sentence as we would in Swedish. Instead, the definite article gets tagged on at the end of the word. So, <em>the dog<\/em>, is <em>hundEN<\/em>. You\u2019ll notice that <em>en hund<\/em> takes the article and just throws it on at the end. <em>The table<\/em>? <em>BordET<\/em>. Similar pattern here, the <em>ett<\/em> gets tagged on at the end of the word. Just note that with <em>ett<\/em> words, we drop the final \u2013t. With <em>en<\/em> words that end in a vowel, we just add \u2013n not \u2013en. Easy enough right? So with the list above, we would do the following to make it definite:<\/p>\n<p>flygplanet\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the airplane<br \/>\nflygplatsen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the airport<br \/>\nomr\u00e5det\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the area<br \/>\nbokhyllan\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the bookshelf<br \/>\ngenombrottet\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the breakthrough<br \/>\nbyggnaden\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the building<br \/>\nbolaget \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0the company, the corporation<br \/>\ndagen\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the day<br \/>\ndr\u00f6mmen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the dream<br \/>\nfaktumet\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the fact<br \/>\nfamiljen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the family<br \/>\nbrandk\u00e5ren\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the fire department<br \/>\nhj\u00e4rtat\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the heart<br \/>\nsjukhuset\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the hospital<br \/>\ntimmen\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 the hour<\/p>\n<p>If you know whether a word is an <em>en\u00ad <\/em>word or an <em>\u00adett<\/em> word, you\u2019ll be able to flip between the definite and indefinite no problem.<\/p>\n<p>A quick note: <em>en<\/em> and <em>ett<\/em> are important. Especially when turning nouns from the singular to the plural, but don\u2019t let the sheer number of nouns discourage you. Make mistakes. It\u2019s ok. The vast majority of Swedes will understand what you mean if you say <em>en flygplan<\/em> or <em>ett dag<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s been quite a while since we discussed definite vs. indefinite nouns so I thought I\u2019d dust it off for any of you new Swedish language learners. If you\u2019d like, feel free to check out our two part series: En or Ett and En or Ett Continued. Of course, we\u2019re all quite familiar with the&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/the-swedish-definite-vs-indefinite\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[3446,7744,364872],"class_list":["post-5448","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-grammar","tag-swedish","tag-swedish-grammar","tag-swedish-language"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5448"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5451,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5448\/revisions\/5451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5448"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5448"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/swedish\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5448"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}