Questions & Answers about Vår mormor är äldst i familjen.
Why does the word for oldest, äldst, look so different from the Swedish word for old?
The basic word for old is gammal. This is a highly irregular adjective! When comparing, the vowel mutates from an a to an ä, and the stem changes, giving us the pattern: gammal (old), äldre (older), and äldst (oldest).
Why didn't we use the definite form den äldsta for the oldest?
When a superlative adjective comes directly after a verb like är (is) to describe the subject, Swedish usually uses the short indefinite form, äldst. You would use the definite form if the adjective was placed directly in front of a noun, like in den äldsta personen (the oldest person).
Can I use mormor to talk about either of my grandmothers?
No, Swedish has specific words for each side of the family. The word mormor literally means mother's mother. If you were talking about your father's mother, you would use farmor.
Why is it vår mormor and not vårt mormor?
Possessive words like our have to match the gender of the noun they belong to. Because mormor is an en-word (en mormor), we use vår. If it were an ett-word like barn (child), we would use vårt barn (our child).