Questions & Answers about Det är ett sött äpple.
Why is the adjective sött instead of söt?
Because äpple is an ett-word (ett äpple). When an adjective describes an ett-word and comes after words like ett (a/an), it gets a -t added to its base form.
Why does sött have two ts at the end?
The base form of the adjective is söt (sweet). When we add the -t ending to match the ett-word, we write sött with a double t. This double consonant tells you that the vowel sound before it is short.
Do we start the sentence with Det just because äpple is an ett-word?
Not necessarily! In Swedish, Det är is the standard set phrase for 'It is' or 'This is' whenever you identify what something is, even if the noun is an en-word (like Det är en bil). But here, it neatly matches the gender of ett äpple anyway.
Why isn't the word for apple written as äpplet?
Because äpplet is the definite form, meaning 'the apple'. Since the sentence says 'a sweet apple', we need the indefinite article ett (a/an) and the basic indefinite form of the noun, äpple.