When talking about the delicate art of perfumery, you often need to be specific about exactly which ingredient or scent you mean. To do this in Swedish, we use a special structure called the determinative pronoun construction.
The Determinative Construction
Normally, to say "the perfumer", you use the definite form of the noun (parfymören). However, when you follow the noun with a restrictive relative clause—a clause starting with som (who/which/that) that defines exactly which one you mean—Swedish often uses a different pattern.
Instead of putting the definite ending on the noun itself, we use the independent pronouns den, det, or de, followed by the noun in its indefinite form, and then som.
- den
- indefinite en-word + som
- det
- indefinite ett-word + som
- de
- indefinite plural noun + som
Den (Singular en-words)
For singular en-words, like en parfymör (a perfumer) or en essens (an essence), use den. Notice in the examples below how the nouns themselves do not have a definite ending.
| The perfumer who produces the scent is looking for a subtle aroma. | Den parfymör som framställer doften letar efter en subtil arom. |
| The essence that she uses is very subtle. | Den essens som hon använder är väldigt subtil. |
Det (Singular ett-words)
For singular ett-words, such as ett recept (a recipe), use det.
| The recipe that we use is a complicated blend. | Det recept som vi använder är en komplicerad blandning. |
De (Plural nouns)
For all plural nouns, regardless of whether they are en-words or ett-words, use de. In the example below, basnoter (base notes) is in its indefinite plural form.
| The base notes that we use are woody, but the top note is floral. | De basnoter som vi använder är träiga, men toppnoten är blommig. |