Breakdown of Barnet håller sitt äpple.
barnet
the child
äpplet
the apple
sitt
his/her/its/their own (ett-word)
hålla
to hold / to hold on to
Questions & Answers about Barnet håller sitt äpple.
Why do we use sitt here instead of sin?
The word for apple is an ett-word (ett äpple). When using a reflexive possessive pronoun (meaning his, her, or its own), the pronoun has to match the gender of the thing being owned, not the owner! We use sitt for ett-words, sin for en-words, and sina for plurals.
What would it mean if we used dess (its) instead of sitt?
If you said Barnet håller dess äpple, it would mean the child is holding another child's or animal's apple. Because the subject (the child) is doing the holding and it is their own apple, we must use the reflexive pronoun sitt.
Since it is a specific apple, why don't we say sitt äpplet?
In Swedish, whenever you use a possessive pronoun like min, din, or sitt, the noun that follows must always be in its basic, indefinite form. So it is always sitt äpple, never sitt äpplet.
Can håller mean "is holding" as well as "holds"?
Yes! Swedish does not have a separate continuous tense (the "-ing" form) like English. Barnet håller translates perfectly to both "The child holds" and "The child is holding" depending on the context.
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