Questions & Answers about Sjuksköterskans bil är blå.
How do we build the word sjuksköterskans to mean "the nurse's"?
The base word for "nurse" is sjuksköterska. First, we make it definite ("the nurse") by adding -n to get sjuksköterskan. Then, to show ownership, we add an -s at the very end to make sjuksköterskans. It works just like the English "s", but without the apostrophe!
Why is it bil and not bilen in this sentence?
When a noun is owned by someone and follows an -s ending, it must be in the indefinite form (without the "the" ending). So we say sjuksköterskans bil, never sjuksköterskans bilen. This matches English perfectly, where we say "the nurse's car" rather than "the nurse's the car".
Why is the adjective blå instead of blått?
Adjectives change based on the noun they describe. Because bil is an "en" word (en bil), the adjective keeps its base form, blå. If the nurse owned an "ett" word like a house (ett hus), the adjective would add a "t" and become blått.
The word sjuksköterskans is very long. How is it put together?
It is a compound word. The base is made of sjuk (sick) and sköterska (caretaker or nurse). Breaking these long Swedish words down into their smaller chunks makes them much easier to read and remember!