Breakdown of Den gamla vasen som jag inte köpte var äkta.
jag
I
vara
to be
inte
not
köpa
to buy
gammal
old
den
the (with en-words)
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
vasen
the vase
äkta
genuine
Questions & Answers about Den gamla vasen som jag inte köpte var äkta.
Why does inte come before the verb köpte here?
In a standard main clause, inte comes after the verb (e.g., Jag köpte inte vasen). However, som jag inte köpte is a subordinate (dependent) clause. In Swedish subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like inte must be placed before the verb.
Can I drop the word som, just like we can drop "that" in English?
Yes, you can! Because som acts as the object in this relative clause (the subject doing the buying is jag), it is completely optional. In everyday spoken Swedish, it is very common to just say: Den gamla vasen jag inte köpte var äkta.
Why is it Den gamla vasen? Doesn't Den already mean "the"?
Yes, but Swedish uses a pattern called "double definiteness" whenever a definite noun has an adjective attached to it. You need the independent article (Den), the definite form of the adjective (gamla), and the definite suffix attached to the noun itself (vasen). It literally translates to "The old the-vase."
Would the word äkta change if the noun was plural or an ett-word?
No, äkta (genuine/real) is a great exception to the normal adjective rules. Adjectives that naturally end in -a, like äkta or bra (good), never change form. They stay exactly the same regardless of the noun's gender or whether it is plural.
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