Question 1

Why is it pojkarna (the boys) when we already have De (the) at the beginning?

Accepted Answer

Swedish uses a pattern called double definiteness when a definite noun has an adjective describing it. You must use the standalone plural article De (the) before the adjective, but you also keep the definite ending -na on the noun itself. Literally, it reads as "The strong the boys".

Question 2

Why does the adjective stark (strong) change to starka here?

Accepted Answer

In Swedish, adjectives get an -a added to the end when they describe plural nouns, and also when they are in the definite form (after words like "the" or "my"). Since pojkarna is both plural and definite, the base word stark must become starka.

Question 3

Is the word De pronounced the way it is spelled?

Accepted Answer

Usually, no. In everyday spoken Swedish, De is almost always pronounced as dom. This rule applies whether De means "they" as a pronoun, or "the" as a plural article like it does in this sentence.

Question 4

How do we get the form pojkarna from the basic word pojke (boy)?

Accepted Answer

First, you make it plural. Pojke ends in a vowel, so you drop the -e and add -ar to get pojkar (boys). Then, to make a plural noun definite ("the boys"), you add the ending -na, which gives you pojkarna.

Question 5

Could I use the verb leker instead of spelar for "play"?

Accepted Answer

Not for football! In Swedish, spelar is used for organized games, sports, and musical instruments. Leker is used for unstructured, imaginative children's play, like playing in a sandbox or playing make-believe.

De starka pojkarna spelar fotboll.

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