Absolute beginner #10 - Swedish demonstrative pronouns
Download PDF| present | är |
| past | var |
| supine | varit |
| pres. participle | varande |
| subjunctive | vore |
| definite singular | året |
| indefinite plural | år |
| definite plural | åren |
| neuter | gammalt |
| plural | gamla |
| definite | gamla |
| comparative | äldre |
| superlative | äldst |
| superlative (masc.) | äldste |
| present | bor |
| past | bodde |
| supine | bott |
| pres. participle | boende |
| past part. (neuter) | bodd |
| past part. (common) | bott |
| past part. (plural) | bodda |
| present | studerar |
| past | studerade |
| supine | studerat |
| pres. participle | studerande |
| past part. (neuter) | studerad |
| past part. (common) | studerat |
| past part. (plural) | studerade |
Demonstrative pronouns
Swedish has several so-called demonstrative pronouns. These are words that you use to point something out, just like this and that in English.The ones used most commonly in neutral and formal texts are detta/denna and dessa. This form lacks a variant corresponding to that/those in English.
Detta hus är rött.This house is red.Denna bil är billig.This car is cheap.Dessa djur är farliga.These animals are dangerous.
However, in spoken Swedish and less formal text, you are more likely to come across the variants det här/den här as well as de här.
Det här huset är rött.This house is red.Den här bilen är billig.This car is cheap.De här djuren är farliga.These animals are dangerous.
As opposed to detta, this pattern does have a variant that is used for that/those: det där/den där and de där.
Det där huset är rött.That house is red.Den där bilen är billig.That car is cheap.De där djuren är farliga.Those animals are dangerous.
In writing detta (etc.) is followed by the noun's indefinite form, as you can see in the examples. However, in the south-western Swedish dialects, it's actually more common to use this as the only variant in both speech and writing but together with the definite form of the noun.
Listening to the example De här djuren är farliga.(These animals are dangerous.) one can hear that de (they) is pronounced dom. Don't let this throw you off. This is the most common pronunciation of this word in contemporary Swedish.
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