Questions & Answers about Barnen sitter på golvet under lampan.
Why is it barnen and not just barn?
Barn is a neuter noun meaning child. Its forms are:
- ett barn = a child
- barn = child / children (indefinite, can be singular or plural depending on context)
- barnet = the child
- barnen = the children
In the sentence, we are talking about specific children, so Swedish uses the definite plural form barnen = the children.
Why is there no word like the before barnen, golvet, or lampan?
Swedish usually does not use a separate word for the.
Instead, it sticks a definite ending onto the noun:
- barn → barnen (the children)
- golv → golvet (the floor)
- lampa → lampan (the lamp)
So barnen sitter på golvet under lampan literally looks like children-the sit on floor-the under lamp-the.
What’s the difference between sitta, sitter, and why do we use sitter here?