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Den här boken är tung.

Den här boken är tung.
This book is heavy.
FromLesson 5inHardcore Swedish
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Breakdown of Den här boken är tung.

vara
to be
boken
the book
den här
this
tung
heavy

Questions & Answers about Den här boken är tung.

What does Den här mean and how is it different from denna?
Den här literally means “this here” and is the most common, everyday way to say “this” before a noun. It’s colloquial and frequent in speech. Denna also means “this”, but it’s more formal or literary and less common in conversation.
Why is boken written with -en at the end?
In Swedish, you mark definiteness by a suffix on the noun. bok means “a book”, while boken means “the book.” Here, Den här boken translates to “this book”, but Swedish treats it as a definite noun phrase, so bok takes the -en ending.
Why is the adjective tung not tungt or tunga?

As a predicate adjective (one that follows är), you use the base form. Since bok is a singular common-gender noun (an en-word), the adjective stays tung.
• tungt would be for neuter (ett-words) or as an adverb
• tunga is the plural form

How would you say “the heavy book” instead of “this heavy book”?

You shift the adjective into an attributive position (before the noun) and apply the definite form:
den tunga boken
Here den is the definite article for en-words, tunga is the definite singular adjective form, and boken is the definite noun.

What’s the difference between den här and den där?

Den här = “this” (something close to the speaker)
Den där = “that” (something farther away or previously mentioned)

Why does the verb är come after Den här boken and before tung?
Swedish main clauses obey the V2 rule (verb-second). Once any element (here, the subject Den här boken) occupies first position, the finite verb (är) must be second, then the rest of the sentence.
Could you say Det här boken är tung?
No. Det här is used with neuter (ett-words) or when the noun is implied but not stated. Since bok is a common-gender (en-word), you must use den här boken.
What gender is bok, and why does it matter?

bok is a common-gender noun (an en-word). That determines:
• Which demonstrative you use (den här)
• Which article (en bok vs. ett hus)
• Certain adjective endings in attributive and predicative positions.

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