What you will learn
You can read a long Swedish word in parts, see what it means and choose en or ett for it.
Two words become one
| Word | Parts | English |
|---|---|---|
| en busshållplats | buss and hållplats | a bus stop |
| en tågbiljett | tåg and biljett | a train ticket |
| ett busskort | buss and kort | a bus pass |
| en cykelväg | cykel and väg | a cycle path |
| en kaffekopp | kaffe and kopp | a coffee cup |
Swedish joins two words into one, with no space between them. The last part says what the thing is, and the first part says which kind. A tågbiljett is a kind of biljett, and a kaffekopp is a cup for coffee. A cup with coffee in it, to drink, is en kopp kaffe. In speech people often say just hållplats for busshållplats.
The last part decides en or ett
The last part also gives en or ett and the endings. Kort is an ett-word, so ett busskort and busskortet, even though buss is an en-word. Tåg is an ett-word, but biljett is an en-word, so en tågbiljett and tågbiljetten.
Words you know are built the same way. Sovrum joins a short form of sova with rum, a room to sleep in. Sjukhus ends in hus, so it is an ett-word like hus. Kanelbulle is one more.
Some joins add an s
| Word | Parts | English |
|---|---|---|
| en stadskarta | stad, s and karta | a town map |
| en kvällskurs | kväll, s and kurs | an evening course |
Some compounds have an s between the parts. There is no short rule for when it comes, so learn each word as it is. Not every pair of words makes a real Swedish word, so check a new compound in a dictionary before you use it.
To read a long word, look for a word you know at the end, then read the part before it. Busshållplats ends in hållplats, and buss comes first.
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| en buss hållplats | en busshållplats | A compound is written as one word. |
| en busskort | ett busskort | The last part, kort, is an ett-word. |
| en stadkarta | en stadskarta | This word has an s between the parts. |