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Questions & Answers about Jag äter färsk frukt.
Why is the adjective färsk placed before the noun frukt in the sentence?
In Swedish, adjectives almost always come before the noun they describe—just like in English. Here, färsk (“fresh”) immediately precedes frukt (“fruit”) to modify it.
What is the form of the verb äter, and how does it relate to its infinitive äta?
Äter is the present tense form of the irregular verb äta (“to eat”). In Swedish, the verb is conjugated to match the subject. Since Jag means “I,” äter correctly expresses “I eat” or “I am eating.”
Why isn’t there an article (like en) before frukt in this sentence?
Swedish often omits the indefinite article when speaking generally about something. In this sentence, frukt is used in its indefinite form to refer to fruit in general rather than a specific piece of fruit.
How does the adjective färsk agree with the noun frukt in terms of gender and number?
The noun frukt is an indefinite singular common-gender noun. In Swedish, adjectives take a simple (uninflected) form in this context; therefore, färsk remains unchanged. If frukt were definite (as in den färska frukten), the adjective would instead appear in its definite form (färska).
What is the significance of the Swedish letter ä as seen in äter and färsk?
The letter ä is a distinct vowel in Swedish. It is pronounced somewhat like the “a” in the English word cat. Its proper pronunciation and placement are important, as it affects both the word’s sound and meaning in Swedish.