Learn Hardcore Swedish: Den starka applåden ger henne en känsla av trygghet på scenen. - The strong applause gives her a feeling of security on the stage.

applåd = a clap / an applause
applåden = the applause (definite form with the suffix -en)
When you add an adjective before a definite noun, you must also add a separate definite article: den / det / de.
The adjective also takes its definite form: starka.

So you get:

applåden = the applause
den starka applåden = the strong applause

You cannot say ❌ den stark applåd or ❌ starka applåden on its own. All three elements are needed:

den + starka + applåden

Why is the adjective “stark” changed to “starka” in “den starka applåden”?

Swedish adjectives change form depending on gender, number, and definiteness.

For stark (“strong”), the key forms are:

stark – indefinite, singular, common gender (en stark applåd)
starkt – indefinite, singular, neuter (ett starkt minne)
starka – plural and all definite forms (de starka applåderna, den starka applåden)

In den starka applåden:

The noun is definite (applåden)
There is a definite article (den)

So the adjective must be in its definite form: starka.

Could I say “den starka applåd ger henne…” instead of “den starka applåden ger henne…”?

No, that’s ungrammatical in Swedish.

If the noun is definite and has an adjective in front, you must:

Use the definite article (den/det/de), and
Put the noun in its definite form with the ending (-en, -et, -na, etc.), and
Use the definite form of the adjective (starka).

So the correct structure is:

den + starka + applåden

Leaving the noun in its indefinite form (applåd) would break this rule.

What gender is “applåd”, and how does that affect the sentence?

Applåd is an en-word (common gender).

Indefinite singular: en applåd
Definite singular: applåden
Plural indefinite: applåder
Plural definite: applåderna

Because it’s an en-word, the matching definite article is den:

den starka applåden

If it were a neuter noun (ett-word), you would use det instead, e.g.:

det starka huset – the strong/solid house

Why is it “henne” and not “hon” in “ger henne en känsla…”?

Hon and henne are different cases of the same pronoun:

hon = she (subject form)
henne = her (object form)

In the sentence:

Den starka applåden ger henne en känsla av trygghet på scenen.

den starka applåden = subject (the one doing the giving)
ger = verb
henne = indirect object (the one who receives)

Because henne is an object, you must use the object form, not hon.
You couldn’t say ❌ ger hon en känsla… here.

Is “ger” just the present tense? And how is it different from “gör”, which looks very similar?

Yes, ger is the present tense of the verb ge (“to give”):

infinitive: att ge – to give
present: ger – gives / is giving
past: gav – gave
supine: gett – (has) given

Gör is a completely different verb: göra (“to do / to make”):

infinitive: att göra – to do
present: gör – does / is doing
past: gjorde – did
supine: gjort – (has) done

So:

applåden ger henne en känsla… = the applause gives her a feeling…
applåden gör henne nervös = the applause makes her nervous

Why is it “ger henne en känsla av trygghet” and not just “ger henne trygghet”?

Both are possible, but the nuance is different:

ger henne trygghet på scenen
- “gives her security/safety on stage” – states the thing she receives directly.
ger henne en känsla av trygghet på scenen
- “gives her a feeling of security on stage” – focuses on her inner, subjective experience.

Using “en känsla av…” softens it and emphasizes that it’s more about how she feels than about an objective state.

Why do we say “en känsla av trygghet” with “av”? Could it be another preposition?

The pattern “en känsla av + noun” is very common in Swedish and corresponds to English “a feeling of + noun”.

en känsla av glädje – a feeling of joy
en känsla av skuld – a feeling of guilt
en känsla av frihet – a feeling of freedom
en känsla av trygghet – a feeling of safety/security

The preposition av here expresses the content of the feeling. Other prepositions like om or över would not work in this structure. So:

✅ en känsla av trygghet
❌ en känsla om/över trygghet

What exactly does “trygghet” mean, and why not “säkerhet”?

Both are related to safety, but they’re used differently:

trygghet – a sense of security, emotional and psychological safety, feeling safe and at ease.
säkerhet – safety in a more objective or technical sense (security systems, safety rules, physical safety).

In “en känsla av trygghet på scenen” the focus is on how she feels on stage – relaxed, safe, confident, not afraid. That’s why trygghet is more natural than säkerhet here.

Also, trygghet is an abstract, uncountable noun, so you don’t use an article in this expression:

en känsla av trygghet (not en trygghet here)

Why is it “på scenen” and not just “på scen”? What’s the difference?

Both exist, but they have slightly different nuances:

på scenen – literally “on the stage”; refers more to a specific, concrete stage or situation.
på scen – “on stage” in a more general, idiomatic sense (as a performer, in front of an audience).

In your sentence:

Den starka applåden ger henne en känsla av trygghet på scenen.

This suggests on that stage / in that performance situation, and the noun is definite:

scen = stage
scenen = the stage

You could also say:

Den starka applåden ger henne en känsla av trygghet på scen.

That would sound slightly more general: “when she’s on stage (as a performer)”. Both are acceptable; context decides which feels better.

Why is the word order “ger henne en känsla” and not “ger en känsla henne”?

In Swedish, with a verb like ge that can take two objects, the usual order is:

Subject – Verb – Indirect object (person) – Direct object (thing)

So:

Den starka applåden (subject)
ger (verb)
henne (indirect object = to her)
en känsla av trygghet (direct object = what she gets)

This order is natural and preferred:

✅ ger henne en känsla av trygghet
❌ ger en känsla av trygghet henne – technically possible in some special, heavily stressed contexts, but sounds unnatural in normal speech.

If you want to move the person later in the sentence, you normally reintroduce till:

ger en känsla av trygghet till henne

But that’s less common here; “ger henne en känsla av trygghet” is the standard wording.

How do the singular and plural of “applåd” work, and could we say this sentence in the plural?

The forms are:

Singular:
- en applåd – a clap / an applause
- applåden – the applause
Plural:
- applåder – applauses / rounds of applause
- applåderna – the applauses / the rounds of applause

Your sentence is singular:

Den starka applåden ger henne en känsla av trygghet…

If you wanted to talk about several strong rounds of applause as the subject, you could say:

De starka applåderna ger henne en känsla av trygghet på scenen.
(The strong applauses / the loud rounds of applause give her a feeling of security on stage.)

Note:

singular definite: den starka applåden
plural definite: de starka applåderna

The adjective stays starka in both definite singular and definite plural.

How do you pronounce the tricky words “applåden”, “trygghet”, and “scenen”?

Approximate English-based hints (not strict phonetics):

applåden – [ap-PLOH-den]
- stress on the second syllable plå
- å like English “o” in door or more (but a bit shorter)
trygghet – [TRYG-heyt]
- trygg has a short y (like German ü), lips rounded
- gg here is hard, like in English egg
- het is like “hayt”
scenen – [SEH-nen]
- sce pronounced like se (no “sk” sound here)
- stress on the first syllable: SEH-nen

So a rough full sentence:

den starka AP-PLOH-den yer HEN-ne en KENS-la av TRYG-heyt po SEH-nen.