Negative pronouns (ingen, inget, inga)

Saying "No" and "None"

To state that you have "no" items of a certain kind, or to say "nobody" and "nothing", Swedish uses ingen, inget, and inga. The form depends on the gender and number of the noun.

FormUsed withMeaning before a nounMeaning on its own
ingenen words (singular)nonobody / no one
ingetett words (singular)nonothing
ingaPlural wordsnonone

Unlike English ("I do not have any..."), Swedish simply says "I have no...". Always follow these words with a noun in the indefinite form.

en words and "Nobody": ingen

We have no milk in the fridge.
Vi har ingen mjölk i kylskåpet.

Used without a noun, ingen means "nobody" or "no one."

Who is in the pantry? Nobody!
Vem är i skafferiet? Ingen!

ett words and "Nothing": inget

There is no bread in the pantry.
Det finns inget bröd i skafferiet.

Used on its own, inget means "nothing."

There is nothing left to eat.
Det finns inget kvar att äta.

Plurals: inga

Use inga with all plural words, regardless of gender.

I have no eggs.
Jag har inga ägg.
We must buy food, because we have no eggs.
Vi måste köpa mat, för vi har inga ägg.

Empty Pantries: kvar

Kvar means "left" or "remaining." It comes after the noun and pairs perfectly with negative determiners to express running out of something.

Is there any butter left?
Finns det något smör kvar?
No, we have no cheese left.
Nej, vi har ingen ost kvar.
There is no fruit left in the kitchen.
Det finns ingen frukt kvar i köket.