Den högljudda bilen väcker henne varje dag.

The loud car wakes her up every day.

Breakdown of Den högljudda bilen väcker henne varje dag.

• varje: every
• dagen: the day
• den: the
• henne: her
• bilen: the car
• högljudd: loud
• väcka: to wake up

Questions & Answers about Den högljudda bilen väcker henne varje dag.

Why does the adjective end in -a in högljudda?

Because the noun phrase is definite and has an adjective. In Swedish, that triggers the definite adjective ending -a. Pattern: den/det/de + adjective (definite -a) + noun (definite suffix -en/-et/-na). So you get den högljudda bilen.

What is “double definiteness,” and why both den and -en in den … bilen?

Swedish marks definiteness twice when an adjective is present:

• You add the separate article den/det/de before the adjective, and
• You also keep the noun’s definite suffix (-en/-et/-na). Hence den högljudda bilen. Without an adjective, you’d normally just say bilen. With possessives, demonstratives, or genitives, you don’t use double definiteness: min högljudda bil, den där högljudda bilen, Lisas högljudda bil.

Could it be högljutt instead?

Not here. högljutt is either the neuter singular indefinite form of the adjective (used with an ett-word: ett högljutt barn) or an adverb (Han pratar högljutt). With an en-word in definite form, you need högljudda: den högljudda bilen.

Why den, not det?

Because bil is a common-gender (en-word) noun. Use den with en-words, and det with neuter (ett) nouns: den röda bilen, but det röda huset.

Why henne, not hon or hennes?

• hon = subject (she)
• henne = object (her)
• hennes = possessive (her/hers) In this sentence, she is the object of the action: bilen väcker henne.

What’s the difference between väcker and vaknar?

• väcker = wakes (someone/something else). It’s transitive and takes an object: Bilen väcker henne.
• vaknar = wakes up (oneself). It’s intransitive: Hon vaknar. There’s no need for a particle like “up” with väcker.

Do I need to add upp (like “wake up”) after väcker?

No. Swedish uses väcka on its own for waking someone from sleep: väcka någon. The form väcka upp exists but is uncommon/archaic for this meaning or used in figurative senses (like väcka upp minnen = “awaken memories”).

Why is the verb second in Den högljudda bilen väcker henne …?

Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule: the finite verb sits in the second position. Here the first position is the subject phrase (Den högljudda bilen), so the verb väcker must come second. If you front a time phrase, you still keep the verb second: Varje dag väcker den högljudda bilen henne.

Can varje dag go somewhere else?

Yes. Typical placements:

• End position (neutral): Den högljudda bilen väcker henne varje dag.
• Sentence-initial (for emphasis/focus): Varje dag väcker den högljudda bilen henne. Avoid splitting the verb and its object in odd ways like … väcker varje dag henne.

Why is it dag (singular) after varje, not dagar?

varje always takes a singular indefinite noun: varje dag, varje vecka, varje år. If you want plural, use something like alla dagar (“all days”).

Could I say En högljudd bil väcker henne varje dag instead?

You can, but it changes the meaning to “A loud car wakes her up every day” (unspecified car). The given sentence with den … bilen refers to a specific, known car.

How do I make it plural?

Use the plural definite pattern:

• De högljudda bilarna väcker henne varje dag. Notes:
• de is the plural definite article (pronounced like dom in most speech).
• högljudda stays -a for plural/definite.
• bilarna is the definite plural of bil.

How do I say it in the past or with have/has?

• Simple past (preterite): Den högljudda bilen väckte henne varje dag.
• Present perfect: Den högljudda bilen har väckt henne (varje dag i sommar). Present perfect typically benefits from a time frame like i sommar, den här veckan, etc.

Is högljudd the most natural word for a noisy car?

It’s fine and idiomatic. Another very common choice for machines/traffic is bullrig (“noisy”): den bullriga bilen. All of these work:

• den högljudda bilen
• den bullriga bilen
• bilen låter högt (the car sounds loud)

Can I drop den and just say högljudda bilen?

No. With a definite noun modified by an adjective, Swedish requires the separate article: den högljudda bilen. Exceptions: with possessives/demonstratives/genitives you don’t use the article or the noun’s definite suffix, e.g., min högljudda bil, den där högljudda bilen (here the demonstrative already functions as the article), Lisas högljudda bil.

Could I use the masculine -e form, like den högljudde bilen?

No. The -e ending in the definite singular is reserved (optionally) for natural male humans in a somewhat formal/old-fashioned style: den gamle mannen, den högljudde mannen. For objects like bil, always use -a: den högljudda bilen.

Where does inte go if I want to say it doesn’t wake her every day?

Place inte after the finite verb:

• General negation: Den högljudda bilen väcker henne inte varje dag (= not every day). If you want to negate the object specifically (rare and marked), you can say: Den högljudda bilen väcker inte henne varje dag (suggests it wakes someone else, not her, every day).

Any quick pronunciation tips?

• hö- has ö (rounded vowel, like French “deux”).
• lj in högljudda is pronounced like English y: [j] (think höj-).
• Double consonants (as in väcker, henne) signal a short preceding vowel.
• varje sounds like VAR-yeh.
• dag has a long a: roughly daag.