When describing who owns what, you already know to add an -s to the owner. But what happens when the owner is described with a longer phrase, like "the pirate with the hook"?
The Phrasal Genitive (Gruppgenitiv)
In Swedish, the possessive -s attaches to the very end of an entire descriptive noun phrase. This is called the phrasal genitive (gruppgenitiv).
Even if the last word of the phrase isn't the actual owner, the -s still tacks onto it. Just like with standard possessives, the noun being owned must be in its indefinite form.
| The pirate with the hook's chest is missing. | Piraten med krokens kista saknas. |
| The woman on the ship's dog is barking. | Kvinnan på fartygets hund skäller. |
Working with Longer Descriptions
The rule applies no matter how complex the phrase gets. Simply locate the end of the noun phrase and attach the -s to the final word.
| The pirate with the big scar's cannon is enormous. | Piraten med det stora ärrets kanon är enorm. |
| The leader of the mutiny's plan is to plunder the ship. | Ledaren för myteriets plan är att plundra fartyget. |
In Context
These possessive phrases function as a single grammatical unit and can act as a subject, object, or the target of a preposition.
| The sailor in the mast is looking for the pirate with the hook's parrot. | Sjömannen i masten letar efter piraten med krokens papegoja. |