Djuret äter maten.

The animal eats the food.

Breakdown of Djuret äter maten.

• maten: the food
• äta: to eat
• djuret: the animal

Questions & Answers about Djuret äter maten.

Why is it djuret and not just djur?

Because djuret is the definite form of djur.

• djur = animal / an animal
• djuret = the animal

In Swedish, the definite article the is usually added as an ending to the noun, not written as a separate word.

Since djur is an ett-word (a neuter noun), the singular definite ending is -et:

• ett djur = an animal
• djuret = the animal

Why is it maten and not just mat?

For the same reason: maten is the definite form.

• mat = food
• maten = the food

Here, mat is an en-word (common gender), so its singular definite ending is -en:

• en mat is not usually used in normal Swedish the way a food is unusual in English
• maten = the food

So the sentence uses two definite nouns:

• djuret = the animal
• maten = the food

Where is the word the in this sentence?