Breakdown of Var är de mjuka handdukarna?
vara
to be
var
where
de
the (plural, before adjective)
mjuk
soft
handduken
the towel
Questions & Answers about Var är de mjuka handdukarna?
How is the word de pronounced here?
Even though it is spelled de, it is almost always pronounced "dom" in spoken Swedish. This is the standard pronunciation for both de (they / the plural) and dem (them).
Why do we use both de and the -arna ending on the noun? Doesn't that mean "the soft the towels"?
Yes! This is a very common rule in Swedish often called "double definiteness." When a definite noun (the towels = handdukarna) has an adjective before it (mjuka), you must also put the independent article de in front. You are literally saying "the soft the towels."
Why is the word for soft mjuka instead of just mjuk?
Adjectives in Swedish change to match the noun they describe. Because handdukarna is plural (towels), you must add an -a to the base word mjuk, making it mjuka. You also use this -a ending whenever you are using the "the" form of a noun.
How does the basic word handduk (towel) become handdukarna?
The base word is en handduk (a towel). To make it plural, you add -ar to get handdukar (towels). To make it definite plural (the towels), you add -na to that plural form, resulting in handdukarna.
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