Definite Plural Nouns
To say "the" for a plural noun (like "the days" or "the answers"), Swedish adds a suffix to the end of the indefinite plural form. The suffix you use depends on how the word originally formed its plural.
Adding -na to Most En-Words
For most en-words, the plural form ends in -or, -ar, or -er (like dagar or väskor). To make these definite, simply add -na to the end.
| Indefinite plural | Definite plural |
|---|---|
| dagar (days) | dagarna (the days) |
| väskor (bags) | väskorna (the bags) |
| frågor (questions) | frågorna (the questions) |
| The days are warm now. | Dagarna är varma nu. |
| The bags are very heavy. | Väskorna är mycket tunga. |
| The questions are difficult. | Frågorna är svåra. |
Adding -en to Consonant Ett-Words
Neuter (ett) nouns that end in a consonant do not change in their indefinite plural form (e.g., ett problem becomes problem). To make these words definite plural, add -en.
| Indefinite plural | Definite plural |
|---|---|
| problem (problems) | problemen (the problems) |
| svar (answers) | svaren (the answers) |
| barn (children) | barnen (the children) |
| Do you understand the problems? | Förstår du problemen? |
| The answers are always simple. | Svaren är alltid enkla. |
| The trains are fast. | Tågen är snabba. |
Adding -a to Vowel Ett-Words
Neuter (ett) nouns that end in a vowel form their indefinite plural by adding -n (e.g., äpplen, meddelanden). To make these definite, add -a to that plural form.
| Indefinite plural | Definite plural |
|---|---|
| äpplen (apples) | äpplena (the apples) |
| meddelanden (messages) | meddelandena (the messages) |
| All the children are eating the apples. | Alla barnen äter äpplena. |
| He is reading the messages. | Han läser meddelandena. |
| The days are warm and the answers are simple. | Dagarna är varma och svaren är enkla. |
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