Exclaiming with "Sådan"
When reacting to shocking moments—like a betrayal in your favorite reality show—you can express strong emotion by saying "Such a...!" In Swedish, this is done using the word sådan.
Because it acts like an adjective, sådan must agree with the gender and number of the noun it describes. For en-words, use the phrase en sådan.
| Such a pact is just a game for the camera. | En sådan pakt är bara ett spel för kameran. |
| Before the elimination there was such an intrigue about the pact! | Före utröstningen fanns det en sådan intrig om pakten! |
Neuter Nouns (Ett-words)
When exclaiming about an ett-word, the phrase becomes ett sådant.
Tip: In spoken Swedish and casual text, you will very often hear and see these words shortened to *sån (en sådan) and sånt (ett sådant).*
| Such a betrayal in the reality show! | Ett sådant svek i dokusåpan! |
| Have you seen the new episode? Such hypocrisy! | Har du sett det nya avsnittet? Ett sådant hyckleri! |
Plural Exclamations
If you are talking about plural nouns, drop the en or ett article entirely and use the plural form sådana (often shortened to såna in conversation).
| Such ulterior motives create such drama! | Sådana baktankar skapar ett sådant drama! |
Using Them in Sentences
While these phrases make great standalone exclamations ("Such hypocrisy!"), you can also embed them normally as the subject or object of a complete sentence to emphasize the sheer magnitude of the drama.
| I do not understand why the group always accepts such a betrayal. | Jag förstår inte varför gruppen alltid accepterar ett sådant svek. |
| Such an intrigue usually saves the viewing figures! | En sådan intrig brukar rädda tittarsiffrorna! |