Breakdown of De som inte har klövern förlorar ett av essen.
inte
not
ha
to have
av
of, by / from (cause)
förlora
to lose
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
de
those (who)
ett
one (of a group, neuter)
esset
the ace
klövern
the club (suit in cards)
Questions & Answers about De som inte har klövern förlorar ett av essen.
Why is it ett av essen instead of en av essen?
In Swedish partitive constructions, the word for "one" must match the gender of the noun it refers to. Because "ace" is an ett-word (ett ess), you must use ett. Even though you are talking about a group of aces, the underlying noun dictates the neuter form.
Why do we use the definite form essen after ett av?
When expressing a part of a specific group (partitive genitive), Swedish requires the noun representing the whole group to be in the definite form. Just as in English you say "one of the aces", in Swedish you say ett av essen rather than the indefinite ett av ess.
Why does inte come before the verb har in this sentence?
The phrase som inte har klövern is a subordinate clause (a dependent clause introduced by som). In Swedish subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like inte always come before the conjugated verb. This is often remembered by learners as the BIFF rule.
Can I write dem som instead of de som at the beginning?
No, because De functions as the subject of the main clause (De... förlorar). While you will hear Swedes pronounce it as "dom", in formal writing you must use the subject form de rather than the object form dem.
Learn De som inte har klövern förlorar ett av essen and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free