Breakdown of Den där gipsskivan är ju mycket tung!
vara
to be
mycket
much / very
tung
heavy
den där
that (en)
ju
as you know / of course
gipsskivan
the plasterboard
Questions & Answers about Den där gipsskivan är ju mycket tung!
Why is the definite form gipsskivan used when the English translation just says 'That plasterboard'?
In Swedish, when you use the demonstrative pronouns den där (that) or den här (this), the noun that follows must take the definite form. You are literally saying 'that there the-plasterboard'.
What exactly does the word ju add to this sentence?
ju is a modal particle used when the speaker assumes the listener already knows, sees, or agrees with the statement. Here, it adds a tone of 'as you can clearly see' or 'you know!', treating the heaviness as a shared observation rather than brand new information.
How is the noun gipsskivan formed?
It is a compound word made of gips (plaster) and skiva (board or sheet), plus the definite suffix -n. Unlike English, which often keeps these as separate words, Swedish binds them together into the single word gipsskiva.
Could I say jättetung instead of mycket tung?
Yes, absolutely! jättetung is extremely common, especially in spoken Swedish, and means the exact same thing. mycket tung sounds just slightly more deliberate or formal, but both work perfectly here.
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