Definite & Indefinite Forms of Swedish Nouns: A Beginner’s Guide
Swedish nouns come in two forms: the indefinite and the definite. Understanding the difference between these forms is key to speaking and writing Swedish accurately. In this post, we’ll explain what each form means, show you how to form them, and provide plenty of examples—including a short reading text and a dialogue—to help clarify the rules.
What Are Indefinite and Definite Forms?
Indefinite Form:
This is the “unspecified” form of a noun. When you refer to something in general or for the first time, you use the indefinite form with the articles “en” (for common gender nouns) or “ett” (for neuter nouns).
Examples:
- en bok (a book)
- ett hus (a house)
Definite Form:
When you talk about something specific or already known to your listener, you use the definite form. Unlike English, Swedish does not use a separate word like “the.” Instead, you attach a suffix to the noun.
Examples:
- boken (the book)
- huset (the house)
How to Form the Definite Form
The way you form the definite version depends on the noun’s gender:
For Common Gender (En-words):
Add -n (or -en) to the end of the noun.
Example:
en hund → hunden (the dog)
For Neuter Gender (Ett-words):
Add -t (or -et) to the end of the noun.
Example:
ett äpple → äpplet (the apple)
Note: Some nouns may have slight variations, but the above rules work for the majority of cases.
More Examples
Common Gender:
- en bil → bilen (the car)
- en pojke → pojken (the boy)
Neuter Gender:
- ett bord → bordet (the table)
- ett brev → brevet (the letter)
Short Reading Text
Read this short story to see definite and indefinite forms in action:
En dag i staden
En solig morgon vaknade en flicka i ett litet hus. Hon åt en frukost och gick sedan ut för att promenera i staden. På vägen såg hon en hund som lekte vid ett stort träd. Flickan log när hon såg hunden springa runt trädet. Efter promenaden återvände hon hem till huset och satte sig ner med ett varmt te.
In this text, notice how:
- Indefinite forms (e.g., en flicka, ett litet hus) introduce new or general items.
- Definite forms (e.g., hunden, trädet, huset) refer to specific things that the reader can now identify.
Final Tips for Mastery
- Learn with the Article: Always study new nouns with their corresponding article (en/ett).
- Practice Regularly: Write sentences using both forms to build your intuition.
- Listen and Read: Exposure to authentic Swedish texts and conversations will help reinforce these rules.
By practicing these forms and paying attention to how native speakers use them, you’ll soon be confident in choosing between the indefinite and definite forms in Swedish.
