Breakdown of Både cellon och fiolen är dyra instrument.
vara
to be
och
and
dyr
expensive
både
both
instrumentet
the instrument
cellon
the cello
fiolen
the violin
Questions & Answers about Både cellon och fiolen är dyra instrument.
Why are cellon and fiolen in the definite form if we are making a general statement about these instruments?
Just like in English, Swedish often uses the definite singular form to talk about an entire class of instruments, species, or inventions. You could also use the indefinite plural here to express the same general idea.
Why is the definite form of cello just cellon instead of taking the usual -en suffix?
Why doesn't the word instrument have a plural ending here?
Instrument is an ett-word that ends in a consonant (ett instrument). In Swedish, these types of words do not change their spelling in the indefinite plural. We know it is plural here because it refers to two things and is paired with the plural adjective dyra.
Since instrument is an ett-word, why is the adjective dyra instead of dyrt?
If the sentence were about a single instrument, you would use the singular ett-word form dyrt (for example, ett dyrt instrument). However, because the sentence describes two instruments together, the adjective must take the plural ending -a.
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