Breakdown of Ett rött äpple är ofta sött.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
äpplet
the apple
ofta
often
röd
red
söt
sweet / cute
Questions & Answers about Ett rött äpple är ofta sött.
Why do both rött and sött end in -tt in this sentence?
They are describing the noun äpple (apple), which is an ett-word (ett äpple). In Swedish, adjectives get a -t or -tt ending when they describe an ett-word. This happens both when the adjective is right before the noun (ett rött äpple) and when it comes after the verb (är sött).
The dictionary form for red is röd, so why is it spelled rött here instead of just adding a -t?
When a Swedish adjective ends in -d (like röd), the d drops and changes to a t when the -t ending is added for an ett-word. So instead of the awkward-to-pronounce rödt, it becomes rött.
The basic word for sweet is söt. Why do we add an extra t to make it sött?
When adding the -t ending to an adjective that already ends in a single t following a long vowel (like the ö in söt), you double the t. This spelling rule tells you that the vowel sound becomes short in sött.
Why does ofta come after the verb är?
In basic Swedish main clauses, adverbs like ofta (often) or inte (not) are usually placed immediately after the verb. So the phrase follows that rule and translates to är ofta.
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