Adjectives in Swedish: what they are and how they work
Before speaking further about adjectives, we must clarify adjective/adverb terminology.
The adjective in Swedish is called adjektiv. As the word’s origin suggests—“added”—an adjective is added to a noun to say how that noun is or looks: size, color, shape, quality, emotion, and so on. In short, adjectives describe nouns but also people.
You have already seen this idea in simple sentences:
- Dinosaurien var stor.
- Skelettet var stort.
- Många djur var stora.
All three mean “was/were big,” but the adjective changes shape to match the noun it describes. That is the key difference between English and Swedish.
English vs. Swedish: agreement or no agreement?
In English, adjectives normally do not change: we say a big book, a big house, big lakes, the big apple—“big” stays “big.”
In Swedish, adjectives agree with the noun in:
- Gender (Common Gender = en‑word / Neuter Gender = ett‑word)
- Number (singular/plural)
- Definiteness (indefinite/definite)
Because of this agreement, most adjectives are learned in three basic shapes:
- base form (used with en‑words in the indefinite singular)
- ‑t form (used with ett‑words in the indefinite singular)
- ‑a form (used in all plurals and with definite nouns)
With the adjective stor (“big”), the pattern looks like this:
- en stor sjö → the lake is big → sjön är stor
- ett stort hus → the house is big → huset är stort
- två stora sjöar/hus → the lakes/houses are big → sjöarna/husen är stora
This is the everyday core you will use again and again.
How to use adjectives in Swedish?
Attributive position (before a noun)
- Indefinite, en-word: en stor sjö
- Indefinite, ett-word: ett stort hus
- Plural (indefinite or definite): stora — två stora hus, de stora husen
Predicative position (after verbs like är, blir, verkar, känns)
- Sjön är stor.
- Huset är stort.
- Husen är stora.
Notice that in predicative position Swedish marks gender and number (stor/stort/stora) but usually not definiteness.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| en-word | ett-word | |
| big | big | big |
| stor | stort | stora |
| en stor sjö (a big lake) | ett stort hus (a big house) | två stora sjöar/hus (two big lakes/houses) |
| sjön är stor (the lake is big) | huset är stort (the house is big) | sjöarna/husen är stora (the lakes/houses are big) |
Definite nouns and “double definiteness”
When a noun is definite in Swedish, the adjective takes ‑a and you normally add a definite article in front of the phrase. This is often called double definiteness (article + definite noun ending):
- en stor sjö → den stora sjön
- ett stort hus → det stora huset
- stora hus → de stora husen
You will also keep ‑a after possessives and demonstratives: min stora bil, det här stora huset.
Choosing the right ending: quick rules
- Indefinite singular, en‑word: base form → en lång väg
- Indefinite singular, ett‑word: add ‑t → ett långt brev
- Plural (any), or definite nouns: ‑a → långa vägar, den långa vägen
- After “är/blir/heter/känns/ser ut”: match gender/number → brevet är långt, breven är långa.
Study tip: because adjective form depends on the noun’s gender, learn every new noun with its article (en or ett). That single habit makes adjective agreement much easier.
Spelling notes you’ll actually use
- Most adjectives add ‑t for neuter: rolig → roligt, modern → modernt.
- Double the final consonant after a short vowel: glad → glatt, ny → nytt, grå → grått, röd → rött.
- Some adjectives are invariable (no changes), especially many color words ending in ‑a: rosa, lila, orange (e.g., ett rosa hus, rosa hus).
- A few are irregular: liten → litet → små (plural).
Comparison: comparative and superlative (short overview)
Just as in English (big, bigger, biggest), Swedish compares adjectives. The common endings are:
- ‑are (comparative), ‑ast/‑aste (superlative/definite superlative)
- snabb → snabbare → snabbast/den snabbaste
- Long or borrowed adjectives often use mer/mest: intressant → mer intressant → mest intressant.
- Irregulars to learn by heart:
- stor → större → störst
- liten → mindre → minst
- bra → bättre → bäst
You will meet these forms early and often, so add them to your core memory.
Adjectives vs. adverbs (one line to prevent confusion)
Many adverbs in Swedish look like the neuter ‑t form of the adjective:
snabb → snabbt, dålig → dåligt: Han kör snabbt (“He drives fast”). But some are unchanged, e.g., bra works as both adjective and adverb: Hon sjunger bra.
What to remember at the beginning
- Learn each noun with its article (en/ett).
- Learn each adjective in three shapes: base – t – a (e.g., röd – rött – röda).
- Use ‑a for plurals and for definite nouns with den/det/de, possessives, and demonstratives.
- After är/blir and friends, match gender and number (stor/stort/stora).
Master these few patterns and Swedish adjectives will start behaving predictably—just like in the examples you saw at the top:
Dinosaurien var stor. Skelettet var stort. Många djur var stora.
