Breakdown of Tysklands befolkning är större än Sveriges.
vara
to be
stor
big
Sverige
Sweden
än
than
Tyskland
Germany
befolkningen
the population
Questions & Answers about Tysklands befolkning är större än Sveriges.
We are learning about comparisons. Why use än here instead of som?
You use än (than) when you are comparing things that are different, which usually involves comparative adjectives like större (larger). You use som (as) when comparing things that are equal, such as lika stor som (as large as).
Is större an irregular word?
Yes! It is the comparative form of stor (big/large). Many common Swedish adjectives change their vowel in the comparative form, so stor becomes större (bigger/larger) and then störst (biggest/largest).
Why isn't there an apostrophe in Tysklands and Sveriges?
In Swedish, the possessive -s (showing ownership) is attached directly to the noun without an apostrophe. So, Germany's is simply Tysklands and Sweden's is Sveriges.
Do I need to repeat befolkning at the end of the sentence?
No, you do not! Just like in English, you can drop the second noun if it is obvious from the context. Saying Tysklands befolkning är större än Sveriges befolkning is perfectly correct but sounds repetitive, so stopping at Sveriges is much more natural.
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