Breakdown of Min son är elva, och min dotter är tolv.
vara
to be
och
and
dottern
the daughter
min
my (min/mitt/mina)
sonen
the son
elva
eleven
tolv
twelve
Questions & Answers about Min son är elva, och min dotter är tolv.
Why do both son and dotter use min for "my"?
In Swedish, the word for "my" changes depending on the noun's gender. Because both son (son) and dotter (daughter) are "en-words", they both use min. If you were talking about an "ett-word" like barn (child), you would use mitt, as in mitt barn.
Can I just say elva and tolv, or do I need to add the Swedish for "years old"?
Just like in English, you can simply use the numbers to tell someone's age. If you wanted to say "years old", you would add år gammal, making it Min son är elva år gammal. However, just saying elva is completely natural and very common.
How do you pronounce the word och (and) in this sentence?
In everyday spoken Swedish, och is almost always pronounced simply as "å" (like the "o" in "horn"). You will rarely hear the "ch" sound unless someone is speaking very formally or reading a text aloud slowly.
Does the verb är (is) change depending on who we are talking about?
No, Swedish verbs are incredibly friendly for beginners! The verb doesn't change based on who is doing the action. Whether it's "I am" (jag är), "you are" (du är), or "my son is" (min son är), the verb stays exactly the same: är.
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