Breakdown of Du måste betala den höga räkningen.
du
you (singular)
måste
to have to, must
hög
high / loudly
den
the (with en-words)
betala
to pay
räkningen
the bill
Questions & Answers about Du måste betala den höga räkningen.
Why does it say den höga räkningen instead of just den hög räkning?
This is the Swedish "double definite" rule. When you have an adjective describing a specific, definite noun, you need the freestanding article den (the), the definite ending on the adjective (höga), AND the definite ending on the noun itself (räkningen). It literally translates to "the high the bill".
Why does the adjective hög change to höga here?
Because the phrase is definite. Whenever you use a definite article like den, det, or de, the adjective that follows must take its definite form. For almost all adjectives, this definite form is made by simply adding an -a.
Why isn't there an att (to) before betala?
Måste (must or have to) is a modal verb. Just like in English, Swedish modal verbs are followed directly by the infinitive form of the next verb without using att.
Would I use räkningen for a restaurant bill too?
Usually not. En räkning is typically an invoice or a bill for services (like electricity or internet) that you must pay later. If you are at a restaurant and want to pay for your meal, you would ask for notan.
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