Breakdown of De små barnen är trötta.
vara
to be
barnet
the child
trött
tired
de
the (plural, before adjective)
liten
small
Questions & Answers about De små barnen är trötta.
Why do we use both De and the -en ending on barnen?
In Swedish, when a definite noun (like barnen, meaning the children) has an adjective in front of it, you must also add a separate article before the adjective. For plural nouns, this article is de. This is often called the double definite rule because the definite form is marked twice.
Why is the word for small små here instead of a form of liten?
The adjective liten (small) is very irregular. When describing a plural noun, like barnen, it completely changes its form to små.
How is the word De pronounced at the start of the sentence?
Even though it is spelled De, it is almost always pronounced dom in everyday spoken Swedish. You will usually hear native speakers say dom små barnen.
Why does trötta have an -a at the end?
Adjectives must match the noun they describe, even when they come after a verb. Because barnen is a plural subject, the adjective describing it takes the plural ending -a, changing the base word trött to trötta.
Learn De små barnen är trötta 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