Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swedish grammar and vocabulary.
Questions & Answers about Brodern dricker kaffe.
What does brodern mean in this sentence, and why does it end with -n?
Brodern translates to the brother in English. The ending -n is a definite suffix in Swedish, indicating that the noun is in its definite form. Without the suffix, broder would mean a brother or simply brother in an indefinite sense.
How is the overall word order in Brodern dricker kaffe similar to or different from English?
The word order in this Swedish sentence follows a subject–verb–object (SVO) pattern, just like in English. Brodern (subject) comes first, dricker (verb) second, and kaffe (object) last, making it quite familiar for English speakers.
What does the verb dricker mean, and how is it formed from its base form?
The verb dricker means drinks. It is formed from the base verb dricka (to drink) by adding the -r ending, which is a common way to form the present tense for many Swedish verbs.
How would you express the indefinite version of this sentence, i.e. “a brother drinks coffee”?
To express the indefinite, you would switch brodern to its indefinite form, en broder. So the sentence becomes En broder dricker kaffe, meaning a brother drinks coffee.
Why is there no separate word for the before brodern, unlike in English?
Swedish often conveys definiteness by appending a suffix directly to the noun rather than using a separate article. In this case, the -n attached to broder functions as the definite article, so there is no need for a separate word like the.
Are similar suffix rules used with other Swedish nouns, and can you give an example?
Yes, many Swedish nouns form their definite singular by adding a suffix—typically -n (or -en for common gender nouns and -t for neuter nouns). For example, bok (book) becomes boken (the book). While there are variations and exceptions, this suffixation is a common pattern in Swedish grammar.