3.6 Possessive adjectives and pronouns
I, fool that I am, didn’t read the small print.
Note – There is, however, no equivalent third person usage of the possessive pronoun in this sense.
Han, den dumma åsnan, vägrade hjälpa mig.
He, the stupid fool, refused to help me.
3.6.7 ‘A friend of mine’
Swedish has no direct equivalent to possessive pronoun constructions of the type: ‘a friend of mine’, ‘a brother of hers’, etc. These are expressed in various ways in Swedish.
He’s a friend of mine. Han är vän till mig.
Aren’t you a neighbour of ours? Är inte du granne till oss?
She’s a sister of theirs. Hon är syster till dem.
He has no children of his own. Han har inga egna barn.
That’s no business of yours. Det angår dig/er inte.
3.6.8 Possessive pronoun in English – definite article in Swedish
English possessive pronouns modifying nouns that denote parts of the body or articles of clothing are usually rendered by the definite article in Swedish where there is no doubt about the ownership.
I’ve not broken my leg, have I? Jag har väl inte brutit benet?
Take your shoes off! Ta av dig skorna!
He has lost his memory. Han har tappat minnet.
The same often applies with nouns that denote parts of or qualities of inanimate objects. Compare 3.6.3.
The car lost one of its wheels. Bilen tappade ett av hjulen.
Trees shed their leaves in autumn. Träden fäller löven på hösten.
Rubies don’t lose their sparkle. Rubiner förlorar inte glansen.
3.7 Demonstrative pronouns
3.7.1 The form of demonstrative pronouns
The form of the demonsratrive pronoun is determined by the gender and number of the correlative.
Non-neuter singular Neuter singular Plural (non-neuter Meaning
and neuter)
den här det här de här this (one), these
den där det där de där that (one), those
denna/denne detta dessa this (one), these
den det de/dem that (one), those
See 3.7.2.3(b)
Note 1 – The form ddenne is occasionally used when referring to a person of male gender.. See 2.3.4, 3.7.2.3 Notes 2 and 3.
Note 2 – The demonstrative pronouns den, det, de are identical in form with the front article (2.3.6.1), but are pronounced with greater stress.
3.7.2 The use of demonstrative pronouns
3.7.2.1 ‘This’ and ‘that’
(a) There are basically two Swedish alternatives corresponding to English ‘this’, ‘these’:
1 Den här, det här, de här are common in spoken and informal written Swedish.
2 Denna/denne, ddetta, ddessa occur mostly in written Swedish.
(b) There are basically two Swedish alternatives corresponding to English ‘that’, ‘those’:
1 Den där, det där, dde där are common in spoken and informal written Swedish, and usually refer to something tangible or present to which the speaker can point.
2 Den, det, de, dem are equally common in both spoken and written Swedish. While these forms often refer to something concrete, they are also the preferred alternative when referring to something of an abstract nature, something to which one cannot point, etc. DDen, det, de, ddem are frequently preferred when the correlative is in a previous clause. See 3.7.2.3.
Jag föddes i det där huset år 1992. Senare det året flyttade vi.
I was born in that house in 1992. Later that year we moved.
Jag har en macka kvar. Den tänker jag spara för att äta senare.
I have one sandwich left. I intend to save that (one) to eat later.
3.7.2.2 Attributive use
(a) DDen här, dden där, etc. +noun + end article Den, det, dde + noun + end article
All nouns that can take an end article do so when modified by one of these demonstrative pronouns:
Den dagen kommer aldrig. That day will never come.
Vill du köpa det där huset? Do you want to buy that house?
Jag gillar de förslagen. I like those suggestions.
Hon gifte sig med den där Erik. She married that Erik (guy).
(b) DDenna/denne, detta, dessa + noun (without an end article)
A noun modified by one of these demonstratives generally takes no end article. In colloquial Swedish, however, the end article may sometimes be added. See 2.3.7.3 Note.
Denna värld är inte rättvis. This world is not just.
Dessa barn vet inte bättre. These children know no better.
Har du sett denne man? Have you seen this man?
3.7.2.3 Nominal use
(a) Demonstrative pronouns may be used independently of a noun. They then usually assume the gender and number of the noun that they imply. Note that ‘one’ in ‘this one’, ‘that one’ has no equivalent in Swedish.
Ta det här äpplet, inte det där.
Have this apple, not that one.
Jag brukar tycka om bär men de här smakar inte alls gott.
I usually like berries, but these don’t taste nice at all.
Detta, det här may also refer to a previous clause. See also 3.11.3.4.
Han sa att han hade gift sig. Detta visste jag förut.
He said he had got married. I already knew that.
(b) Note that dde, ‘those’, has the object form ddem in nominal use:
Jag tar de här skorna, inte dem. I’ll have these shoes, not those.
Note 1 – Where English uses ‘this’, ‘that’, ‘these’, ‘those’ as subject of the verb ‘to be’ with a following noun as predicate, Swedish uses the neuter singular det hhär, ddet där, detta, det regardless of the gender or number of the following noun. See 3.3.5.1.
Detta var hans sista ord. These were his last words.
Det här är min fru. This is my wife.
Note 2 – DDenna, denne, detta, dessa have genitive forms in –s, although these are commonly replaced by a possessive pronoun in modern Swedish.
Note 3 – In written Swedish the demonstrative ddenna, etc. (but not den här, etc.) is used in much the same way as the English expression ‘the latter’. This can sometimes avoid ambiguities. In such instances ddenne is sometimes used to refer to a male in the singular.
Han skrev ett tal för presidenten som denne läste upp inför FN:s generalförsamling.
He wrote a speech for the president that the latter read before the UN General Assembly.
The English ‘the former ... the latter’ is rendered in Swedish by dden förra (masculine form: dden förre) .... den senare.
Note 4 – Demonstrative pronouns have numerous lexicalised uses:
herr den och den Mr so and so
på den och den platsen at such and such a place
vid den och den tiden at such and such a time
så här, så där like this, like that
sålunda in this/that way
3.7.3 Samma, densamma
Non-neuter Neuter Plural Meaning
samma/samme samma samma (the) same
densamma/densamme detsamma desamma the same
3.7.3.1 Samma
Samma is only used attributively. There is no article in Swedish before samma and no end article on the following noun. SSamme exists as a formal masculine singular form, but it is rarely encountered.
Vi ses imorgon. Samma tid, samma plats.
See you tomorrow. Same time, same place.
Det är samma gamla lösningar på samma gamla problem.
3.7.3.2 Densamma
D
Densamma, etc. – written as one word – is used nominally. DDensamma, etc. is generally reserved for more formal written Swedish. In spoken Swedish it is more common to use ssamma + appropriate noun. DDensamme is used when referring to a male in the singular. See 2.3.4.1.
Hon är alltid densamma. She’s always the same.
Alla frågar detsamma. Everyone is asking the same thing.
Behoven är alltid desamma. Our needs are always the same.
Note – DDetsamma is used in a number of idiomatic expressions:
(Tack) detsamma! (Thanks,) the same to you.
Det gör mig detsamma. It’s all the same to me.
med detsamma immediately, at once
i detsamma at that very moment
3.7.4 Sådan, dylik
Non-neuter Neuter Plural Meaning
sådan sådant sådana such
dylik dylikt dylika similar, such
Sådan, sådant and ssådana are often pronounced and occasionally spelled sån, ssånt and ssåna (short vowel sound). SSådan, like the much less frequently encountered ddylik (Note 2 below), has both attributive and nominal uses.
Sluta med sådana dumheter! Put a stop to such silly ideas!
Köp en slips eller något sådant. Buy a tie or some such thing.
When used with a singular or non-count noun, ssådan or ssådant is usually preceded by the indefinite article. In contrast, English has ‘such a/an’ only before a count noun.
Han kände ett så(da)nt hat. He felt such hatred.
Du är en så(da)n bra förebild! You’re such a good example! Sådan, sådant, ssådana also serve the function of English expressions such as ‘like this/that’, and when followed immediately by hhär or där often render ‘this/that kind of’:
Jag vill gärna ha en sådan dator. I’d love a computer like that. Sådana här frågor är svåra. Questions like these are difficult.
Ett sådant där fel är vanligt. That kind of error is common.
Sånt händer. Things like that happen.
Note 1 – SSådan, etc. may be translated into English in various other ways:
Jag tar fem sådana. I’ll have five of those/these.
Sånt är livet! That’s life!
Ett sånt liv! What a commotion! See 3.10.7
Sådan är han! That’s the kind of person he is.
Note 2 – DDylik is archaic, but is still used in some formal expressions or when the speaker wishes to be slightly ironic.
Student söker möblerat rum eller dylikt.
Student seeks furnished room or similar.
Dylika metoder godkänns inte i dag.
Methods like those are unacceptable today.