Swedish Grammar #21: Preposed Definite Articles

In Swedish, nouns typically take a postposed definite article, which is added to the end of the noun. However, in some cases—particularly when a noun is modified by an adjective—the definite article appears before the noun, such as den or det. This is called a preposed definite article.

In this lesson, I explain how preposed definite articles are used, how they differ from postposed articles, and the rules for choosing between them.

1. Difference Between Preposed and Postposed Articles

In Swedish, when referring to a specific object such as “the book” or “the house,” the definite form is typically expressed with a postposed article:

This is very different from English, where the definite article “the” is placed before the noun. But when the noun is modified by an adjective, the structure changes. For example, “the new book” is expressed as:

Here, the article den is placed before the adjective, while the noun retains its postposed definite article. This double marking clarifies that the speaker is referring to a specific “new book.”

2. Forms of Preposed Definite Articles

Swedish nouns fall into two genders—common and neuter—and the preposed definite article changes depending on gender and number:

Preposed definite articles are only used when an adjective modifies the noun. If no adjective is present, only the postposed article is used.

3. How to Use Preposed Articles

The basic structure is: Preposed article(den/det/de)  + Adjective (ending in -a) + Noun (with postposed definite article)

Examples:

The key feature is that when an adjective appears before the noun, both a preposed and postposed article must be present. For learners accustomed to English, this “double marking” may feel unnatural, but it is the correct form in Swedish.

4. Adjective Endings

Swedish adjectives also change form depending on gender and number. However, in definite noun phrases with preposed articles, the adjective always takes the ending -a, regardless of gender or number:

In other words, when a definite article is used, the adjective form is simplified: learners only need to remember that it ends in -a.

5. Why Preposed Articles Are Necessary

The reason preposed articles are used with adjectives is that the adjective and noun together form a single definite expression:

If the preposed article is omitted or the noun lacks its postposed article, the sentence becomes grammatically incorrect or unnatural.

6. Practical Examples

As these examples show, adding an adjective changes both the article usage and the word order, making the phrase more complex.

7. Summary

Haruno

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