Breakdown of Vilken brant backe!
vilken
which (en) / what a (en-word, exclamatory)
backen
the slope
brant
steep
Questions & Answers about Vilken brant backe!
Doesn't vilken mean "which"? Why is it translated as "what a"?
You are right that vilken is normally the question word for "which". However, in exclamations like this one, vilken translates to "what a" or "what".
Why isn't there a word for "a" in the Swedish sentence?
In English, we say "What a...", but in Swedish, the word vilken covers the whole phrase. You never add en or ett directly after vilken in an exclamation.
Does vilken change depending on the noun?
Yes, it has to match the noun's gender and number. We use vilken here because backe is an en-word. If you were exclaiming about an ett-word like berg (mountain), you would use vilket: Vilket brant berg! For plurals, you would use vilka.
Why do we use the indefinite form backe instead of the definite backen?
When making an exclamation with vilken, Swedish always uses the indefinite form of the adjective and noun. Even though you are reacting to a specific hill right in front of you, the grammar rule for this exclamatory phrase requires the indefinite brant backe.
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