Learn Hardcore Swedish: Hunden är glad.

In Swedish, the definite article is attached directly to the noun as a suffix. Here, “hund” (dog) becomes “hunden” by adding “-en,” which indicates that it’s definite. This is why you don’t see a separate word equivalent to “the.”

Why is the adjective “glad” not inflected or changed in form when describing the dog?

Adjectives used predicatively—after the linking verb “är” (is)—remain in their base form in Swedish, regardless of the noun’s gender or number. If the adjective were used attributively directly before the noun (as in “den glada hunden”), it would typically receive an ending. In “Hunden är glad,” however, “glad” stays uninflected because it is part of a predicate construction.

What role does the verb “är” play in this sentence?

“Är” is the present tense of the verb “vara,” which means “to be.” It acts as the linking verb in the sentence, connecting the subject “Hunden” with the predicate adjective “glad” that describes it.

How does the sentence structure of “Hunden är glad” compare to English?

The structure is quite similar to English. It follows a Subject-Verb-Predicate format: “Hunden” is the subject, “är” is the verb, and “glad” is the predicate adjective. This similarity can help English speakers understand Swedish sentence construction.

Does the form of “hunden” tell us anything about the noun’s gender or number?

Yes, it does. In Swedish, the suffix “-en” in “hunden” signals that the noun is in the definite singular form and is of the common gender. This affixed definite article is a distinctive feature of Swedish noun forms.