Breakdown of Äktenskapet är en lång relation.
vara
to be
en
a, an (common)
lång
long / tall
relationen
the relationship
äktenskapet
the marriage
Questions & Answers about Äktenskapet är en lång relation.
Why does äktenskapet end in -et when many other words ending in -skap are en words?
Nouns ending in the suffix -skap (similar to the English suffixes '-ship' or '-hood') can be either en or ett words, and you generally have to memorize their gender. While concepts like en vänskap (a friendship) and en kunskap (a knowledge) are en words, ett äktenskap (a marriage) and ett sällskap (a company) are ett words. The -et at the end of äktenskapet is the definite article, making it 'the marriage'.
What is the root word of äktenskap?
It is built from the adjective äkta, which means genuine, authentic, or true. In historical and legal contexts, it also means marital or legitimate. By adding the noun-forming suffix -skap, it translates literally to something like 'genuine-ship' or 'marital-ship', giving us the modern word for marriage.
Since äktenskapet is an ett word, why isn't the adjective written as långt?
Adjectives always match the gender of the noun they directly describe. Even though the subject of the sentence (äktenskapet) is an ett word, the adjective lång is describing the noun right next to it: relation. Because relation is an en word, the adjective stays in its basic en form (lång) rather than taking the ett ending (långt).
Could I use the word förhållande instead of relation in this sentence?
Yes, ett förhållande is a very common alternative when talking about a romantic relationship. However, if you swap it into this sentence, you must remember to change the article and adjective to match its ett gender. The sentence would then become: Äktenskapet är ett långt förhållande.
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