Title: Övning 2 Matcha singular och plural / Task 2 Match the singular and the plural
Course: Communication and interaction in mother tongue, Swedish as a second language > Section: 1 - Communication

Numerus, teori/The Plural Form of Nouns, theory

In Swedish, nouns change form depending on whether they are singular or plural. This concept is known as “numerus” (number).

Singular and Plural Forms

1.        Singular: This is the form used when referring to one item. For example:

a.        en bok (a book)

b.       ett hus (a house)

2.        Plural: This form is used when referring to more than one item. The plural form of nouns in Swedish can vary, but there are some common patterns:

a.        Adding -or: Many common nouns ending in -a in the singular form add -or in the plural.

                                                                              i.        en flicka (a girl) → flickor (girls)

b.       Adding -ar: Nouns ending in a consonant often add -ar.

                                                                              i.        en bil (a car) → bilar (cars)

c.        Adding -er: Some nouns, especially those ending in -e, add -er.

                                                                              i.        en pojke (a boy) → pojkar (boys)

d.       Adding -n: Nouns ending in a vowel other than -a often add -n.

                                                                              i.        ett äpple (an apple) → äpplen (apples)

e.        Irregular forms: Some nouns have irregular plural forms.

                                                                              i.        en man (a man) → män (men)

                                                                            ii.        ett barn (a child) → barn (children)

Definite and Indefinite Forms

In addition to singular and plural, Swedish nouns also have definite and indefinite forms. The definite form indicates a specific item or items, while the indefinite form refers to any item or items of that kind.

·        Indefinite Singular: en bok (a book)

·        Definite Singular: boken (the book)

·        Indefinite Plural: böcker (books)

·        Definite Plural: böckerna (the books)

Examples

·        Singular: en katt (a cat)

·        Plural: katter (cats)

·        Definite Singular: katten (the cat)

·        Definite Plural: katterna (the cats)