Är den där lampan modern?

Breakdown of Är den där lampan modern?

vara
to be
den där
that (en)
lampan
the lamp
modern
modern

Questions & Answers about Är den där lampan modern?

Why do we say den där lampan instead of just den där lampa?
When you use demonstratives like den där (that) or den här (this), Swedish requires the noun to be in its definite form (the 'the' form). So, you are literally saying 'that the-lamp'.
How do I know whether to use den där or det där?
It depends on the gender of the noun. Because lampa is an en-word, you use den där. If you were pointing at an ett-word, like hus (house), you would use det där and say det där huset.
If I want to ask about multiple lamps, how does den där lampan change?
For plurals, you use de där (those) regardless of the noun's gender. The noun also needs to be in the plural definite form, so 'those lamps' becomes de där lamporna.
Does the adjective modern need a special ending here?
Not in this sentence! Because lampa is a singular en-word, we use the base form modern. If you were asking about an ett-word, you would add a -t to make it modernt, and for plural words you would add an -a to make it moderna.

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