Questions & Answers about Är båda ögonen blå?
Why does the sentence use the definite form ögonen instead of the indefinite ögon?
In Swedish, the word båda (both) almost always takes the definite form of the noun. So while English says 'both eyes', Swedish says båda ögonen (literally 'both the eyes').
Is båda två also correct to use in this sentence?
You could technically say Är båda två ögonen blå?, but it sounds a bit clunky. When you put the word 'both' directly in front of a noun, it is much more natural to just use båda. You usually use båda två when the noun is left out, for example if someone asks 'Which eye is blue?' and you just answer Båda två! (Both of them!).
I forgot how öga (eye) changes to ögonen. How does that work?
The word ett öga (an eye) is an irregular ett-word. Instead of a standard ending, its plural changes to ögon (eyes). To say 'the eyes', you add the definite plural ending -en to make ögonen.
Since ögonen is plural, shouldn't the adjective be blåa?
It can be! Both blå and blåa are perfectly correct for plural forms. However, short adjectives that end in a vowel, like blå (blue) or grå (grey), often drop the plural -a ending in everyday Swedish because it flows better when speaking.
Learn Är båda ögonen blå and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free