Question 1

Why does the adjective end in '-e' (modige) instead of '-a' (modiga)?

Accepted Answer

Normally, definite adjectives end in -a. However, for singular nouns that refer to a male person, like prinsen, Swedish often uses the special masculine ending -e instead. Using -a (den modiga prinsen) is also grammatically correct today, but -e is very common and gives a slightly more traditional feel.

Question 2

Why do we use 'Den' if 'prinsen' already means 'the prince'?

Accepted Answer

This is a reminder of the Swedish 'double definite' rule. When you describe a definite noun with an adjective, you need three parts: the front article (Den), the definite adjective (modige), and the definite noun itself (prinsen).

Question 3

How do we know 'besegrade' is in the past tense?

Accepted Answer

The infinitive form of this verb is besegra (to defeat). Because it is a regular Group 1 verb that already ends in -a, you simply add -de to form the past tense, making it besegrade.

Question 4

What is the base word for 'draken'?

Accepted Answer

The base word is drake (dragon), which is an en-word. Because it already ends in a vowel, you only need to add an -n to make it definite (draken), rather than adding the full -en suffix.

Den modige prinsen besegrade draken.

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