Breakdown of Den nya ryttaren rider snabbare än han.
han
he
snabb
fast
ny
new
den
the (with en-words)
än
than
ryttaren
the rider
rida
to ride
Questions & Answers about Den nya ryttaren rider snabbare än han.
Why does the sentence use än han instead of än honom?
In strict Swedish grammar, än acts as a conjunction connecting two clauses, with the verb in the second clause left unsaid: ...snabbare än han (rider). Because he is the subject of that implied verb, the subject pronoun han is used. While you will often hear än honom in everyday spoken Swedish, än han is preferred in formal writing.
Why do we use nya instead of ny in Den nya ryttaren?
This is a reminder of the 'double definite' rule. When a noun is preceded by a standalone definite article like Den, the adjective must take its weak form, which ends in -a. The noun itself also keeps its definite suffix (-en).
Would snabbare change its ending if the sentence was about multiple riders?
No. Unlike base adjectives that change to match gender and number (like snabb, snabbt, snabba), comparative adjectives ending in -are never change form. It stays snabbare regardless of whether the subject is singular or plural.
How is the noun ryttaren formed?
Just like in English, you can often turn a Swedish verb into a noun representing the person doing the action. By taking the root of att rida (to ride) and adding the suffix -are, you get en ryttare (a rider). The -n at the end makes it definite: 'the rider'.
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