Erik har en stor hund.

Erik has a big dog.

Breakdown of Erik har en stor hund.

• Erik: Erik
• ha: to have
• hunden: the dog
• stor: big
• en: a

Questions & Answers about Erik har en stor hund.

Why do we use en before stor hund?

In Swedish, nouns are categorized into two genders: en-words and ett-words. Hund is an en-word, so we use en when saying en hund (“a dog”). The same word in the indefinite form takes en regardless of adjectives like stor.

Why is the adjective stor placed before the noun?

In Swedish, adjectives generally come before the noun they modify. So if you want to say “a big dog,” you say en stor hund. This is the most common word order for descriptive phrases.

When does har change form?

Unlike English where “have” can change to “has” or “had,” the Swedish verb har is the present tense for all subjects (“jag har,” “du har,” “Erik har,” etc.). It doesn’t change form based on who is performing the action.

Is the word stor always the same, or does it change form?

Stor can change form depending on gender, number, and definiteness. For example, “a big dog” is en stor hund, but “a big house” is ett stort hus, and “the big dogs” would be de stora hundarna.

How do you pronounce hund?

The u in hund is typically pronounced as a short “oo” sound, similar to the “u” in English “put,” and the d at the end is voiced but slightly softer than in English.