Breakdown of Vilken hög bergochdalbana!
vilken
which (en) / what a (en-word, exclamatory)
hög
high / loudly
bergochdalbanan
the roller coaster
Questions & Answers about Vilken hög bergochdalbana!
Why does vilken mean "what a" here instead of "which"?
In Swedish, the question words vilken, vilket, and vilka are also used to make exclamations! When used this way, they translate to "What a...!" You just have to make sure the word matches the noun: vilken for en-words, vilket for ett-words, and vilka for plurals.
How is the word bergochdalbana put together?
It is a very fun, descriptive compound word. It is literally made up of berg (mountain), och (and), dal (valley), and bana (track or path). So a roller coaster in Swedish is a "mountain-and-valley-track"!
Is hög an indeclinable adjective like the ones in this lesson?
No, hög (high/tall) is a regular adjective, appearing here to show the contrast! It changes to match the noun it describes. It is hög here because bergochdalbana is an en-word, but it becomes högt for an ett-word (like ett högt hus - a tall house) and höga for plurals. Indeclinable adjectives like bra (good) or gratis (free) never change their endings.
Why is hög used for "tall" instead of lång?
In Swedish, hög is used for objects that reach high up into the air, such as buildings, mountains, and roller coasters. Lång means "long", but it is also the word you must use for a person's height (en lång man = a tall man). Since a roller coaster is an object, we use hög.
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