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Questions & Answers about Tågen är snabba.
How is the word tågen built from the basic word for train?
The basic word is ett tåg. Because it is an ett word ending in a consonant, its plural form is exactly the same: tåg (trains). To make it definite plural (the trains), we add the suffix -en, giving us tågen.
Wait, isn't the -en ending usually used for singular nouns, like hunden (the dog)?
Great catch! Yes, for en words, adding -en means 'the' in the singular. However, for ett words that don't change in the plural (like tåg), the suffix -en is used to mean 'the' in the plural. If you wanted to say 'the train' in the singular, it would be tåget.
Why is it snabba instead of just snabb?
Adjectives change to match the noun they describe. Since tågen is plural, the adjective must also be in its plural form. We do this by adding an -a to the end, changing the base word snabb into snabba.