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Questions & Answers about Sjuksköterskan hjälper läkaren.
Sjuksköterskan is a really long word! What are its parts?
It is a compound word made of sjuk (sick) and sköterska (carer). To make it mean 'the nurse' instead of 'a nurse', we add the definite ending -n to get sjuksköterskan.
Why do both nouns end in -n?
In Swedish, the word for 'the' is attached to the end of the noun rather than being a separate word. En sjuksköterska (a nurse) becomes sjuksköterskan (the nurse), and en läkare (a doctor) becomes läkaren (the doctor).
How would I add the genitive -s from this lesson to say 'the nurse's doctor'?
You simply add an -s directly to the end of the definite noun! 'The nurse's' is sjuksköterskans, so the phrase would be sjuksköterskans läkare. Notice that the owned noun (läkare) drops its definite -n ending and stays indefinite after a genitive word.
How do you pronounce the tricky consonants in sjuksköterskan?
The sj spelling at the start makes a unique Swedish 'sh' sound that is usually pronounced deep in the back of the throat. The sk later in the word also makes a 'sh' sound, but a softer one made near the front of the mouth.