Breakdown of Själva norrskenet gnistrar över den vidsträckta sjön.
den
the (with en-words)
sjön
the lake
över
over / past (in clock times)
själva
the actual / the ... itself
norrskenet
the northern lights
vidsträckt
vast
gnistra
to sparkle (like sparks or diamonds)
Questions & Answers about Själva norrskenet gnistrar över den vidsträckta sjön.
Why is the emphatic word Själva used here instead of Självt, given that norrsken is an ett-word?
When placed before a definite noun to mean 'the thing itself', the form is always själva, regardless of the noun's gender or number. If it came after the verb to mean 'by itself', it would agree with the ett-word gender: norrskenet gnistrar självt. But as an emphatic marker directly before the noun, it locks into själva.
In English we say 'the northern lights' in the plural. Is norrskenet plural in Swedish?
No, it is singular definite. It comes from ett sken (a light, glow, or shine). Swedish treats the aurora borealis as one unified glow, literally 'the northern shine' (norrskenet), rather than a collection of individual lights.
How would I rewrite this as an exclamatory sentence to fit this lesson, meaning 'How the northern lights themselves sparkle!'?
You would add Så at the beginning and keep the standard declarative word order: Så själva norrskenet gnistrar! You could also add an adverb, like Så vackert själva norrskenet gnistrar! (How beautifully...). In these exclamations, the verb gnistrar stays right after the subject, unlike in a question.
The word vidsträckta (vast) looks a bit like a verb form. How is it constructed?
It is a past participle acting as an adjective, formed from the verb att sträcka (to stretch) combined with vid (wide). Because it sits in a double definite structure between the independent article den and the definite noun sjön, it must take the definite adjective ending -a, becoming vidsträckta.
Learn Själva norrskenet gnistrar över den vidsträckta sjön 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