Breakdown of Det är samma recept, men vi använder bara en fjärdedel av smöret.
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
vi
we
en
a, an (common)
Questions & Answers about Det är samma recept, men vi använder bara en fjärdedel av smöret.
How is the word fjärdedel formed?
In Swedish, most fractions are built by taking the ordinal number (like fjärde for 'fourth') and adding the word del ('part'). So en fjärdedel literally means 'a fourth part'.
Can I use the word kvart to mean 'a quarter' here?
No, you shouldn't use kvart for measuring ingredients. In Swedish, en kvart is almost exclusively used for time (a quarter of an hour). For math, proportions, and recipes, you must use en fjärdedel.
Why is it just samma recept and not det samma receptet?
Unlike English, which says 'the same', Swedish usually doesn't use a definite article like det before samma. The word samma already acts as a definite marker, so it is followed directly by the noun in its base form: samma recept.
Why is smöret in the definite form here?
When you take a fraction of something specific, like the butter already mentioned or required for this recipe, you use the definite form smöret ('the butter'). If you were talking about a quantity of butter in general, you might say en fjärdedel av ett paket smör ('a quarter of a packet of butter').