A1 Swedish GrammarBasic Adjectives
Swedish adjectives change form based on the noun's gender and number. En-words use the base form (stor), ett-words add -t (stort), and plurals add -a (stora). Learn common adjectives and their forms to describe people, places, and things accurately.
1Adjective Agreement Basics
Swedish adjectives must agree with the noun in gender and number. The base form is used with en-words: en stor bil (a big car). Add -t for ett-words: ett stort hus (a big house). Add -a for all plurals: stora bilar (big cars).
Adjective Forms
| Base (en) | Neuter (ett) | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| stor | stort | stora | big |
| liten | litet | små | small |
| ny | nytt | nya | new |
| gammal | gammalt | gamla | old |
Examples
Det är en stor hund.
That is a big dog.
stor with en-word
Det är ett stort problem.
That is a big problem.
stort with ett-word
Vi har stora planer.
We have big plans.
stora with plural
Det är ett litet barn.
That is a small child.
litet with ett-word
2Adjectives with Definite Nouns
When using adjectives with definite nouns (the big car), Swedish uses double definiteness: den/det/de + adjective-a + noun-en/et. Example: den stora bilen (the big car), det stora huset (the big house).
Definite Form Pattern
| Indefinite | Definite | English |
|---|---|---|
| en stor bil | den stora bilen | the big car |
| ett stort hus | det stora huset | the big house |
| stora bilar | de stora bilarna | the big cars |
| en ny bok | den nya boken | the new book |
Examples
Den gamla mannen sitter.
The old man is sitting.
den + gamla + mannen
Det lilla barnet sover.
The little child is sleeping.
det + lilla + barnet
De nya böckerna är bra.
The new books are good.
de + nya + böckerna
Den vackra flickan sjunger.
The beautiful girl is singing.
den + vackra + flickan
3Common Adjectives
Learn these frequently used adjectives. Most follow the regular pattern: base form, +t for ett-words, +a for plural/definite. Some adjectives ending in -t only add -a for plural: trött → trötta (tired). Learn irregular ones like liten/litet/små.
Essential Adjectives
| Swedish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| bra | good | en bra film |
| dålig | bad | ett dåligt väder |
| vacker | beautiful | en vacker dag |
| ful | ugly | ett fult hus |
| snabb | fast | en snabb bil |
| långsam | slow | ett långsamt tåg |
Examples
Det är en bra idé.
That is a good idea.
bra (same all forms)
Maten var dålig.
The food was bad.
dålig, dåligt, dåliga
Hon är mycket vacker.
She is very beautiful.
vacker after är
Det var ett snabbt beslut.
It was a quick decision.
snabbt with ett-word
4Adjectives After Verbs
When adjectives come after verbs like är (is), ser (looks), verkar (seems), they still agree with the subject. 'Huset är stort' (The house is big). 'Bilarna är dyra' (The cars are expensive).
Predicate Adjectives
| Subject | Verb | Adjective | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilen | är | röd | The car is red. |
| Huset | är | stort | The house is big. |
| Barnen | är | trötta | The children are tired. |
| Hon | verkar | glad | She seems happy. |
Examples
Hunden är hungrig.
The dog is hungry.
hungrig (en-word subject)
Barnet ser trött ut.
The child looks tired.
trött (ett-word subject)
De ser lyckliga ut.
They look happy.
lyckliga (plural subject)
Maten är god.
The food is good/tasty.
god (not bra) for taste