Breakdown of Mina gamla skidglasögon är trasiga, så jag vill ha ett nytt par.
jag
I
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
ha
to have
vilja
to want to
gammal
old
ny
new
min
my (min/mitt/mina)
trasig
broken
så
so
paret
the couple / the pair (of items)
skidglasögonen
the ski goggles
Questions & Answers about Mina gamla skidglasögon är trasiga, så jag vill ha ett nytt par.
Why do we use the plural words Mina, gamla, and trasiga for a single pair of goggles?
The word skidglasögon (ski goggles) is a pluralia tantum noun, meaning it only exists in the plural. Just like 'glasses' in English, even when you mean one physical object, all describing words in Swedish must take their plural endings.
How do we refer to a single unit of skidglasögon since the word itself is always plural?
You use the noun ett par (a pair). Because par is an ett-word in the singular, the article and adjective describing it must take the singular ett-form: ett nytt par.
If I wanted to say 'a new pair of ski goggles' instead of just 'a new pair', how would I translate the 'of'?
You simply put the noun directly after the quantity, with no extra word for 'of'. You would say ett nytt par skidglasögon. This is a general rule in Swedish for quantities, such as en kopp kaffe (a cup of coffee).
Quick reminder: why is it vill ha ett nytt par and not just vill ett nytt par?
The Swedish verb vill behaves like 'want to' and requires another verb to follow it. When you want a physical thing (a noun) rather than an action, you must always use vill ha (want to have).
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