Learn Swedish: Vi måste godkänna denna transaktion idag. - We must approve this transaction today.

The word denna is a formal demonstrative meaning "this". A strict rule in Swedish is that denna, detta, and dessa must be followed by the indefinite form of the noun (no -en or -et on the end). Therefore, it has to be denna transaktion.

How do I know whether to use denna, detta, or dessa here?

It depends on the gender and number of the noun that follows. Because transaktion is a singular en-word (en transaktion), you use denna. You would use detta for a singular ett-word, and dessa for plural nouns.

Could I say den här transaktionen instead?

Yes, absolutely! Denna transaktion and den här transaktionen mean the exact same thing. However, denna is more formal and used more often in writing. Because a "transaction" belongs to a business or banking context, the formal denna sounds very natural here. In casual speech, den här transaktionen is more common.

Why is the verb godkänna in its infinitive form rather than the present tense?