Tjuven stal smyckena.

The thief stole the jewelry.

Breakdown of Tjuven stal smyckena.

• tjuven: the thief
• smyckena: the jewelry
• stjäla: to steal

Questions & Answers about Tjuven stal smyckena.

Why does tjuven end with -en?

Because tjuven is the definite singular form of tjuv, meaning the thief.

Swedish often puts the definite article on the end of the noun instead of using a separate word like English the.

• en tjuv = a thief
• tjuven = the thief

Since tjuv is an en-word (common gender noun), its definite singular ending is -en.

Why does smyckena end with -na?

Because smyckena is the definite plural form of smycke.

Its forms are:

• ett smycke = a piece of jewelry / an ornament
• smycket = the piece of jewelry
• smycken = pieces of jewelry / jewels
• smyckena = the pieces of jewelry / the jewels

The ending -na here marks definite plural: the jewelry / the jewels.

Why is there no separate word for the in this sentence?