Breakdown of Pojken målar den smalaste linjen.
pojken
the boy
den
the (with en-words)
måla
to paint
smal
narrow
linjen
the line
Questions & Answers about Pojken målar den smalaste linjen.
Why does the adjective end in -aste (smalaste) instead of just -ast?
Because it is in the definite form. When you describe a specific, definite noun like "the narrowest line", you must add an -e to the standard -ast superlative ending.
Why do we use both den and linjen if they both show "the"?
This is a Swedish rule called "double definiteness". Whenever a definite noun (linjen) has an adjective in front of it, you also have to put a freestanding definite article (den in this case, because linje is an en-word) before the adjective.
Does smalaste mean "smallest"?
No, smal is a false friend for English speakers! It actually means "narrow" or "thin". If you wanted to say "the smallest line", you would use the adjective liten (small), which has an irregular superlative form.
What are the regular forms of this adjective before we add the definite -e?
The base word is smal (narrow). You add -are for the comparative smalare (narrower) and -ast for the superlative smalast (narrowest).
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