Breakdown of Är det ett ilsket djur?
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
det
it (neuter)
djuret
the animal
ilsken
angry (fierce, irate)
Questions & Answers about Är det ett ilsket djur?
Why is the adjective ilsket here instead of ilskent?
The base form of this adjective is ilsken (angry). When an adjective ends in an unstressed -en, we do not just add a -t to match an ett word like djur. Instead, we replace the -n with a -t, giving us ilsket. Saying "ilskent" would be clunky to pronounce!
What is the difference between ilsken and the more common word arg?
Arg is the standard, everyday word for being mad or angry. Ilsken, on the other hand, often describes a more aggressive, vicious, or bad-tempered kind of anger. That makes it the perfect word to describe a dangerous or aggressive animal (ett ilsket djur).
If there were multiple angry animals, how would this sentence change?
It would become: Är det ilska djur? (Are they angry animals?). For the plural, adjectives ending in unstressed -en drop the -e- and the -n to add the plural -a, becoming ilska. Also remember that djur is an ett word ending in a consonant, so its plural form does not change.
Could I say Är den ett ilsket djur? since animals are living creatures?
No, you must use det. When making a general identification like "It is a..." or "Is it a...?", Swedish always uses the neuter pronoun det as the subject, regardless of the gender of the noun that comes later in the sentence.
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