Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag gillar den här boken.

• Jag means I.
• Gillar is the present tense of the verb att gilla, meaning to like.
• Den här is a demonstrative phrase meaning this (used with common gender nouns).
• Boken is the definite form of bok (book), equivalent to the book.

Why is the noun “bok” presented as “boken” when it’s already preceded by the demonstrative “den här”?

In Swedish, when a noun is modified by a demonstrative like den här ("this"), the noun must appear in its definite form. The base noun bok becomes boken by adding the definite suffix -en. Essentially, the combination emphasizes that you are talking about a specific, known book (“this book”).

How do I decide whether to use “den här” or “det här” when referring to something?

Swedish demonstrative pronouns agree with the gender of the noun they modify. For common gender nouns (typically those that take the indefinite article en), you use den här (“this”). For neuter nouns (those that take ett), you use det här. Since bok is a common gender noun (an en-word), den här boken is correct.

What is the function of the verb “gillar” in this sentence, and how is it conjugated?

Gillar is the present tense form of the verb att gilla, meaning to like. In Swedish, the present tense is often formed by adding -r to the verb’s stem. Thus, jag gillar translates directly as “I like.” It’s a regular conjugation for this verb form.

How does the word order in “Jag gillar den här boken” compare to English?

The Swedish sentence follows a similar subject–verb–object (SVO) order as English does. Jag (I) is the subject, gillar (like) is the verb, and den här boken (this book) is the object. This makes the sentence structure very familiar to English speakers learning Swedish.