So you've learned about Swedish noun gender – that nouns are either en (common) or ett (neuter). That's a crucial first step! But how do you say "the cat" instead of just "a cat"? And what happens when you have more than one cat, or want to talk about "the cats"?

This is where **definiteness** (whether you mean a specific noun or any noun) and **number** (singular or plural) come into play. Swedish handles this differently than English. Instead of separate words like "a," "an," and "the," Swedish often uses **endings** attached to the noun itself. Understanding these changes is key to unlocking Swedish grammar. Let's explore the four main forms!

The Four Forms of a Noun

Most Swedish nouns have four basic forms you need to learn:

1. Indefinite Singular: The basic form with 'a' or 'an' (en or ett).
2. Definite Singular: The form meaning 'the' (singular).
3. Indefinite Plural: The form meaning 'cats', 'houses' (plural, general).
4. Definite Plural: The form meaning 'the cats', 'the houses' (plural, specific).

Knowing the noun's gender (en or ett) is essential, as it determines how these forms are created.

1. Indefinite Singular (a/an)

This is the base form you learn with the gender article. We covered this in the en/ett guide.

• en katt (a cat)
• ett hus (a house)
• en flicka (a girl)
• ett bord (a table)

2. Definite Singular (the)

To make a singular noun definite ("the"), you typically add an ending based on its gender:

• En words usually add -en or -n:
  • If the noun ends in a consonant: add -en. en katt -> katten (the cat) en stol -> stolen (the chair)
  • If the noun ends in a vowel (like -a): add -n. en flicka -> flickan (the girl) en soffa -> soffan (the sofa)
• Ett words usually add -et or -t:
  • If the noun ends in a consonant: add -et. ett hus -> huset (the house) ett bord -> bordet (the table)
  • If the noun ends in a vowel: add -t. ett äpple -> äpplet (the apple) ett knä -> knät (the knee)

3. Indefinite Plural (cats, houses)

Making nouns plural in Swedish involves adding different endings. There are several patterns, and unfortunately, like gender, it often requires memorization. Here are the most common plural endings:

• -or: Common for en words ending in -a. en flicka -> flickor (girls) en blomma (a flower) -> blommor (flowers)
• -ar: Common for many en words, especially those ending in consonants. en pojke (a boy) -> pojkar (boys) en hund (a dog) -> hundar (dogs)
• -er: Common for many en and some ett words, often involving multi-syllable words or those ending in certain consonants. Sometimes involves a vowel change (omljud). en stad (a city) -> städer (cities - vowel change) en bok (a book) -> böcker (books - vowel change) ett museum -> museer (museums)
• -n: Common for ett words ending in a vowel. ett äpple -> äpplen (apples) ett yrke (a profession) -> yrken (professions)
• No ending (same as singular): Common for ett words ending in a consonant. ett hus -> hus (houses) ett bord -> bord (tables) ett barn -> barn (children)

4. Definite Plural (the cats, the houses)

To make a plural noun definite ("the ...s"), you generally add another ending **after** the indefinite plural ending. The most common definite plural ending is -na.

• Nouns ending in -or, -ar, -er in plural usually add -na: flickor (girls) -> flickorna (the girls) pojkar (boys) -> pojkarna (the boys) böcker (books) -> böckerna (the books)
• Nouns ending in -n in plural usually add -a: äpplen (apples) -> äpplena (the apples) (Note: it looks like just -a is added, but think of it as -n + -a -> -na dropping one n)
• Nouns with no plural ending (ett words ending in consonant) usually add -en: hus (houses) -> husen (the houses) bord (tables) -> borden (the tables) barn (children) -> barnen (the children)

Summary Example Table

Putting It All Together

Mastering these four forms for each noun is fundamental. It allows you to speak about specific vs. general things, singular vs. plural items, and it's the basis for correct adjective agreement (which also changes based on these forms!).

The best strategy? When you learn a new noun like en katt, try to learn all its forms together: en katt, katten, katter, katterna. It takes practice, but it's essential for fluency.

Ready to practice noun forms and solidify your understanding of Swedish grammar? Join Sprachlingua's online Swedish courses for expert guidance.