Breakdown of Den smala gränden går bakom den långa muren.
gå
to go, to walk
lång
long / tall
den
the (with en-words)
smal
narrow
bakom
behind
gränden
the alley
muren
the wall (outdoor, freestanding)
Questions & Answers about Den smala gränden går bakom den långa muren.
Why does this sentence say den smala gränden and den långa muren instead of just adding the definite endings to the nouns?
Because both nouns have adjectives describing them! In Swedish, when a definite noun has an adjective, you must use "double definiteness". This means you need the separate definite article den, the adjective with an -a ending (smala, långa), AND the definite noun ending (gränden, muren).
Our lesson is about vowel changes in plurals (omljud). How does en gränd (an alley) work in the plural?
The plural of en gränd is gränder. It belongs to the group of nouns that take an -er ending in the plural, which is where vowel mutations usually happen (like en strand becoming stränder). Because gränd already has an ä, the vowel doesn't need to change, but it follows that exact same pattern!
Why do we use går for an alley? Does the alley actually walk?
No, but just like in English, Swedish uses the verb att gå (to go/to walk) to describe the path or direction of roads, streets, and alleys. You are saying the alley "goes" behind the wall.
Does muren (the wall) have an irregular vowel change in its plural form too?
No, en mur is a regular noun. Its plural is murar (walls), so the vowel u stays exactly the same. The vowel mutation rule mainly affects specific irregular nouns, which you just have to memorize as you meet them.
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