Questions & Answers about Han använder tunt papper.
Why is the word for thin spelled tunt here with one n instead of two?
The dictionary form of the adjective is tunn. Because it describes papper, which is an ett-word, it needs a -t added to the end. However, Swedish spelling rules generally do not allow double consonants right before another consonant. So, instead of writing tunnt, you drop one n and spell it tunt.
Does dropping the second n in tunt change the vowel from short to long?
No, the u remains a short vowel. In Swedish, a vowel is usually short if it is followed by two or more consonants. Even though one n was dropped, the nt combination still provides two consonants, so the vowel stays short just like it is in tunn.
Could I use tunn instead if I were talking about a different object?
Yes! If you were describing an en-word, you would use tunn because no -t is added. For example, a thin book is en tunn bok. You only use the tunt form when describing an ett-word like papper.
Is papper an uncountable noun here?
Yes, it acts like an uncountable material here, exactly as in the English translation. However, papper can also be a countable singular noun meaning a sheet of paper or a document, in which case a thin piece of paper would be ett tunt papper.
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