Swedish nouns are divided into two grammatical genders: common (en-words) and neuter (ett-words). This distinction affects which indefinite article you use and even influences how the definite form of a noun is formed. In this post, we’ll explore these differences, provide clear examples, and even include a short reading text and dialogue to help you master the basics.
The Basics: En-words vs. Ett-words
En-words (Common Gender):
Most Swedish nouns belong to the common gender and use the article “en”.
en bok (a book)
en stol (a chair)
en hund (a dog)
en bil (a car)
en pojke (a boy)
Ett-words (Neuter Gender):
Other nouns take the neuter article “ett”.
ett hus (a house)
ett bord (a table)
ett äpple (an apple)
ett brev (a letter)
ett fönster (a window)
Note: In Swedish, the gender of a noun is not always predictable by its meaning or ending—you often need to learn each noun along with its article.
Definite Forms and Gender
When forming the definite version of a noun, Swedish adds an ending to the noun rather than using a separate word for “the.” The endings differ based on the noun’s gender:
En-words: Add -n or -en
en bok → boken (the book)
Ett-words: Add -t or -et
ett hus → huset (the house)
Understanding these patterns will help you form sentences more naturally in Swedish.
Short Reading Text
En solig dag
En solig dag gick en pojke ut i ett litet hus. Han såg en hund leka vid ett rött bord i trädgården. Vid sidan av ett gammalt träd fanns en vacker blomma. Pojken log och fortsatte sin promenad genom ett grönt landskap.
In this text, notice how:
- En pojke, en hund, en blomma use the common gender.
- Ett hus, ett bord, ett träd, ett landskap use the neuter gender.
By integrating these strategies into your study routine, you’ll soon find that choosing between en and ett becomes second nature.
