Questions & Answers about Vi ser många djur i skogen.
Why doesn't djur have a plural ending to mean animals?
Djur is an ett-word that ends in a consonant (ett djur). In Swedish, these words belong to a specific noun group (Group 5) that doesn't change form in the indefinite plural. Because of this zero-plural rule, ett djur means an animal, and många djur means many animals.
Because djur looks exactly like the singular form, how do we know it is plural here?
The word många means many, which automatically tells you that a plural noun is coming next. In Swedish, you often have to rely on number words or quantity words like många, två (two), or några (some) to know that a zero-plural word like djur is plural in a sentence.
How do you pronounce the dj at the beginning of djur?
The d is completely silent. The dj combination is pronounced like a soft English y sound, very similar to the first sound in the English word you.
Why does skog have -en at the end here?
Skog (forest) is an en-word. Adding -en to the end makes it definite, so skogen means the forest. We use the definite form here just like in English to say we see animals in the forest.