Breakdown of Ikväll ska vi äta de färska tomaterna.
vi
we
ska
will
ikväll
tonight
äta
to eat
tomaten
the tomato
de
the (plural, before adjective)
färsk
fresh
Questions & Answers about Ikväll ska vi äta de färska tomaterna.
Why is it ska vi instead of vi ska?
Swedish uses the V2 rule, meaning the verb is usually the second piece of information in a statement. Because we started the sentence with the time word Ikväll (tonight), the verb ska has to come next, pushing the subject vi (we) to the third spot.
Why do we say de färska tomaterna? Isn't tomaterna already "the tomatoes"?
Yes, tomaterna means "the tomatoes". But Swedish has a double definite rule. When you use an adjective (like färska) with a specific, definite noun, you must also add a separate word for "the" in front of the adjective. For plural nouns, that word is de. So you are literally saying "the fresh tomatoes-the".
Why does färsk (fresh) have an -a at the end here?
In Swedish, adjectives change their endings to match the noun they describe. You add an -a when the noun is plural (more than one tomato) or when it is definite (a specific tomato). Since tomaterna is both plural and definite, färsk becomes färska.
How should I pronounce the word de in this sentence?
Even though it is spelled de, in spoken Swedish it is almost always pronounced "dom". This is the same way you pronounce the Swedish word for "they".
Why is the verb äta in its infinitive (dictionary) form?
Because it comes after ska (will/shall). Just like in English where we say "will eat" and not "will eats", Swedish uses a helping verb plus the basic infinitive form of the main verb to talk about the future.
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