Breakdown of Hon har en sådan liten halsduk.
hon
she
en
a, an (common)
ha
to have
liten
small
sådan
such, such a (sådant, sådana)
halsduken
the scarf
Questions & Answers about Hon har en sådan liten halsduk.
Why do we use sådan here instead of sådant or sådana?
Sådan agrees with the noun it describes, just like an adjective. Because halsduk (scarf) is a singular en-word, we use sådan. If it were an ett-word, we would use sådant, and for plural nouns, we would use sådana.
Why is the word order en sådan? In English we say "such a".
In Swedish, the indefinite article (en or ett) goes before sådan, making it literally "a such". Saying sådan en is a common mistake for English speakers. Always remember to put en or ett first!
Why is the adjective liten and not lilla?
We use liten because the noun phrase is indefinite (introduced by en). Lilla is the definite form, which we would use if we were saying "the small scarf" (den lilla halsduken). Since this is "such a small scarf", we use the basic indefinite form liten to match the en-word.
Could I use så instead of sådan here?
Yes! You can also say en så liten halsduk (literally "a so small scarf"). Så describes the adjective (how small it is), while sådan focuses more on the kind of thing it is ("such a small scarf"). Both sound natural and have very similar meanings in meanings in meanings at this level.
Learn Hon har en sådan liten halsduk and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free