Breakdown of Båda öronen är skadade.
vara
to be
skadad
injured
båda
both (pronoun, e.g. both of them)
örat
the ear
Questions & Answers about Båda öronen är skadade.
Why does båda use the definite form öronen (the ears) instead of just öron?
In Swedish, the word båda (both) requires the noun to be in its definite plural form. So instead of saying "both ears" like in English, you literally say "both the ears" (båda öronen).
Could I use båda två in this sentence and say båda två öronen?
No, you should just use båda here. Båda två is typically used on its own when the noun is left out. For example, if someone asks how your ears are, you could reply "Båda två är skadade" (Both of them are injured). But when you directly include the noun (öronen), you just use båda.
Is öronen an irregular word? What is the singular form?
Yes, it is irregular! The singular form is ett öra (an ear). The plural is öron (ears), and the definite plural (the ears) is öronen. Other body parts ending in -a often follow this pattern too, like ett öga (an eye) becoming ögonen.
Why is the word for injured (skadad) written as skadade here?