Breakdown of Hunden vars päls är svart är av en känd ras.
vara
to be
en
a, an (common)
hunden
the dog
svart
black
av
of, by / from (cause)
känd
famous
vars
whose
rasen
the breed
pälsen
the fur
Questions & Answers about Hunden vars päls är svart är av en känd ras.
Why is it vars päls and not vars pälsen, since we are talking about a specific dog's fur?
Whenever you use a possessive word in Swedish—including the relative pronoun vars (whose)—the noun that follows must be in the indefinite form. So, just like you would say min päls (my fur), you say vars päls (whose fur).
Would vars change form if we were talking about multiple dogs, or if the following word was an ett-word?
No, vars is invariable. It always stays exactly the same, no matter the gender or number of the noun it refers back to (hunden) or the noun it owns (päls).
It feels strange to read svart är av with two verbs close together. How is this sentence structured?
The sentence contains a relative clause inserted right into the middle of the main sentence. The relative clause is vars päls är svart (whose fur is black). The first är belongs to this relative clause. The second är is the main verb of the sentence: Hunden... är av en känd ras (The dog... is of a famous breed). Swedish often leaves out commas around these clauses.
Is känd related to the verb känna (to know or feel)?
Yes! Känd is the past participle of känna, literally meaning 'known'. In everyday Swedish, it is the standard adjective used for 'famous' or 'well-known'. Because ras (breed) is an en-word, the adjective takes the basic känd form.
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