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Questions & Answers about Maten smakar underbart.
Why is it maten and not just mat?
Maten is the definite singular form of mat, so it means the food.
- mat = food
- maten = the food
In Swedish, the definite article is often added as an ending to the noun instead of being a separate word. So where English says the food, Swedish says maten.
What is the basic dictionary form of maten?
The dictionary form is mat.
This is the indefinite singular form. From that base form, Swedish adds endings:
- mat = food
- maten = the food
Since mat is a common gender noun, its definite singular ending is -en.
Why is there no separate word for the?
Because Swedish usually attaches the to the end of the noun.
So instead of:
- English: the food
you get:
- Swedish: maten
This is very normal in Swedish. A separate article like den is used in some other situations, but not here.