Breakdown of Anna tycker att vår gulliga kusin är trevlig.
vara
to be
vår
our (vår/vårt/våra)
trevlig
nice (pleasant, friendly)
Anna
Anna
att
that
tycka
to think (have an opinion)
gullig
cute (adorable)
kusinen
the cousin
Questions & Answers about Anna tycker att vår gulliga kusin är trevlig.
Why is it gulliga instead of gullig?
In Swedish, when an adjective comes after a possessive word like vår (our), it must take the definite form. For most adjectives, this means adding an -a to the end. So, the basic adjective gullig becomes gulliga.
If gulliga is in the definite form, why is kusin in the indefinite form? Shouldn't it be kusinen?
This is a special rule for possessives! After a possessive word like vår (our), min (my), or a name with an -s (like Annas), the adjective gets the definite -a ending, but the noun must stay in its basic, indefinite form. So it is vår gulliga kusin, never vår gulliga kusinen.
Why doesn't trevlig get an -a at the end like gulliga did?
Trevlig (nice) describes the cousin, but it comes after the verb är (is). The rule about adding an -a after a possessive only applies to adjectives placed directly in front of the noun. Because trevlig is separated from the noun by a verb, it just follows the normal rule of matching the noun's gender and number. Since kusin is a singular en-word, we use the basic form trevlig.
Why do we use tycker att here instead of tror att?
Tycker is specifically used for expressing a personal opinion or feeling about something you have actually experienced. Since Anna has met the cousin and formed an opinion that they are nice, we use tycker. If she were just guessing that the cousin is nice without having met them, she would use tror (believes/guesses).
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