Breakdown of Det sjunde brevet är från Anna.
vara
to be
brevet
the letter
från
from
det
the (with ett-words)
Anna
Anna
sjunde
seventh
Questions & Answers about Det sjunde brevet är från Anna.
Why does the sentence use both Det and brevet? Doesn't that translate to 'The seventh the letter'?
Exactly! This is a common Swedish grammar rule often called double definiteness. When you have an adjective or a number like sjunde before a definite noun, you must use both the separate article Det and the definite ending -et on brevet.
Why do we use Det at the start of the sentence instead of Den?
We use Det because brev (letter) is an ett word. If the noun were an en word, such as en dag (a day), you would use Den instead, as in Den sjunde dagen.
Does the word sjunde change its spelling because it is describing an ett word?
No, ordinal numbers like sjunde (seventh) are handy exceptions to the usual adjective rules. They end in -e and do not change their form, whether they are describing an en word, an ett word, or a plural word.
How can I tell that brev is an ett word just by looking at this sentence?
You have two clear clues! First, the separate article at the beginning is Det, which goes with ett words. Second, the noun has the definite ending -et to make brevet. If it were an en word, the ending would usually be -en.
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