B1 Swedish GrammarGenitive Case
Express possession and relationships between nouns using the Swedish genitive. Swedish uses the simple -s suffix (without apostrophe) for all nouns regardless of ending. Learn when to use genitive versus prepositional phrases with 'av' or 'till'.
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1Forming the Genitive with -s
Swedish forms the genitive by simply adding -s to the noun (no apostrophe needed). This works for all nouns regardless of their ending, whether they end in a vowel, consonant, or even -s. The genitive noun comes before what is possessed, like English.
Genitive Formation
| Noun | Genitive | English |
|---|---|---|
| flicka | flickas | the girl's |
| pojke | pojkes | the boy's |
| Erik | Eriks | Erik's |
| Lars | Lars | Lars's (no change) |
| hund | hunds | the dog's |
Examples
Flickans väska är röd.
The girl's bag is red.
flickan + s = flickans
Pojkens cykel är ny.
The boy's bicycle is new.
pojken + s = pojkens
Eriks bil står där borta.
Erik's car is over there.
proper name + s
Hundens mat är i skålen.
The dog's food is in the bowl.
hunden + s = hundens
2Genitive with Names Ending in -s
When a name already ends in -s, -x, or -z, Swedish traditionally adds nothing or uses a colon in writing (Lars:). In spoken Swedish, no extra sound is added. Modern usage often simply writes the name without change or uses the construction 'namn + sin/sitt/sina'.
Names Ending in S-sounds
| Name | Written Genitive | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Lars | Lars (or Lars:) | Lars sin bil |
| Max | Max (or Max:) | Max sitt hus |
| Agnes | Agnes (or Agnes:) | Agnes sina böcker |
| Lukas | Lukas (or Lukas:) | Lukas sin hund |
Examples
Lars bil är blå.
Lars's car is blue.
no extra -s after Lars
Agnes katt heter Misse.
Agnes's cat is called Misse.
no extra -s after Agnes
Det är Max hund.
It's Max's dog.
no extra -s after Max
Lukas sin cykel är trasig.
Lukas's bicycle is broken.
alternative: name + sin/sitt/sina
3Genitive with Definite Nouns
When using the genitive with definite nouns, the -s attaches to the definite form. So 'bilens' means 'the car's' and 'flickornas' means 'the girls''. The definite ending comes first, then -s. For compound possessors, only the last word gets -s.
Definite + Genitive
| Indefinite | Definite | Genitive |
|---|---|---|
| en bil | bilen | bilens |
| ett hus | huset | husets |
| flickor | flickorna | flickornas |
| barn | barnen | barnens |
Examples
Bilens motor fungerar inte.
The car's engine doesn't work.
bilen + s = bilens
Husets tak är rött.
The house's roof is red.
huset + s = husets
Barnens rum är stort.
The children's room is big.
barnen + s = barnens
Min brors frus syster bor här.
My brother's wife's sister lives here.
chained genitives: bror-s fru-s
4Alternatives to Genitive: av and till
Swedish sometimes uses prepositional phrases instead of genitive, especially for non-personal possessors or abstract relationships. 'Av' (of/by) is used for parts, creators, or material. 'Till' expresses belonging or purpose. The genitive is preferred for people and animals.
Genitive vs Prepositions
| Context | Genitive | Prepositional |
|---|---|---|
| Person | Annas bok | boken av Anna (rare) |
| Thing | stadens centrum | centrum av staden |
| Part of | bilens dörr | dörren på bilen |
| Purpose | -- | nyckel till huset |
Examples
Har du nyckeln till lägenheten?
Do you have the key to the apartment?
'till' for purpose/belonging
Taket på huset behöver repareras.
The roof of the house needs repair.
'på' for physical parts
En bok av Astrid Lindgren.
A book by Astrid Lindgren.
'av' for creator/author
Slutet av filmen var överraskande.
The end of the movie was surprising.
'av' for abstract parts
Practice Exercises
5 exercises
'The girl's bag': ___ väska
'The car's engine': ___ motor
'Lars's car' (name ending in s): ___ bil
'Erik's house': ___ hus
'The children's room': ___ rum
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