Adjectives before singular nouns

Adjectives describe nouns and are placed directly before them. In Swedish, the adjective's ending must match the gender of the noun.

En-words (The Base Form)

When describing an indefinite en-word, the adjective stays in its base form.

He is a nice man.
Han är en trevlig man.
I want to buy a green car.
Jag vill köpa en grön bil.

Ett-words (Adding -t)

When describing an indefinite ett-word, add a -t to the end of the adjective.

The child eats a green apple.
Barnet äter ett grönt äpple.
The child plays on a dirty floor.
Barnet leker på ett smutsigt golv.

Spelling Adjustments

Adding a -t sometimes causes a minor spelling change:

  • Adjectives ending in a vowel followed by -t (like söt) or -d (like röd) change to -tt.
  • Adjectives ending in a consonant followed by -t (like kort) do not add an extra -t.
The boy has a cute dog.
Pojken har en söt hund.
It is a sweet apple.
Det är ett sött äpple.
Today we have a short lesson.
Idag har vi en kort lektion.
The boss reads a short message.
Chefen läser ett kort meddelande.

Putting It Together

Always check the noun's article (en or ett) to decide which form of the adjective to use.

A nice man has a clean house.
En trevlig man har ett rent hus.

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