Questions & Answers about Hennes cykel är trasig.
What does each word mean and how is the sentence structured?
- Hennes = “her” (possessive pronoun)
- cykel = “bike/bicycle” (a common gender/en-word noun)
- är = “is” (present tense of vara, “to be”)
- trasig = “broken” (adjective) Structure: Possessive + noun (the subject) + verb + predicative adjective.
Why is there no article like “en” or “the” in front of “cykel”?
In Swedish, a possessive pronoun replaces articles. You say hennes cykel, not “en cykel” or “cykeln” with a possessive. So no article and no definite ending appear on the noun when you have a possessive.
Why is “Hennes cykeln” wrong?
Because possessives and the noun’s definite ending don’t combine. With a possessive, the noun stays in its base (indefinite) form:
- Correct: hennes cykel
- Wrong: “hennes cykeln” Compare:
- With a definite article + adjective (no possessive): den trasiga cykeln
- With a possessive + adjective: hennes trasiga cykel (no “den,” no “-n” on the noun)
Can I start a sentence with “Sin cykel är trasig”?