Breakdown of Både Antarktis och Europa är mycket kalla.
vara
to be
mycket
much / very
och
and
kall
cold
både
both
Europa
Europe
Antarktis
Antarctica
Questions & Answers about Både Antarktis och Europa är mycket kalla.
English often uses "the" for regions like "the Antarctic". Why isn't there a definite article before Antarktis?
In Swedish, geographical proper nouns like continents and countries almost never take an article. As this lesson covers, even if we added an adjective—like "the cold Antarctic"—Swedish omits the free definite article (det or den) that normally goes before adjectives. You would simply say kalla Antarktis instead of det kalla Antarktis.
Why is the adjective kalla in the plural form here when both Antarktis and Europa are singular?
Because they are joined by och (and). When you combine two singular nouns, the overall subject of the sentence becomes plural. Therefore, the describing adjective must take the plural -a ending to match.
How does the både ... och structure work?
Både ... och is a fixed paired conjunction meaning "both ... and". Just like in English, you place både before the first item and och before the second item.
Does the -s at the end of Antarktis mean it is in the possessive (genitive) form?
No, the -s here is simply part of the continent's name, derived from Greek and Latin. It is not the Swedish possessive -s ending, just like the "s" in "Paris" or "Wales" isn't possessive.
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