What you will learn
You can choose en or ett for a noun, talk about your family and say what you have with har.
En-words and ett-words
Every Swedish noun is either an en-word or an ett-word. The small word before the noun shows which, and it means a or an. Most nouns are en-words.
| En-words | Ett-words |
|---|---|
| en mamma (a mom) | ett barn (a child) |
| en vän (a friend) | ett hus (a house) |
| en katt (a cat) | ett kök (a kitchen) |
No simple rule works for every noun, so learn each new noun together with en or ett. The word lists in this course always show it. Words for people are usually en-words, but barn is an ett-word.
When you are not sure, you can ask En eller ett? It means en or ett?
One and counting
En and ett also mean one. Before an en-word, one is en, as in en katt. Before an ett-word, one is ett, as in ett barn. When you just count, say ett, två, tre.
Family words
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| en familj | a family |
| en mamma, en pappa | a mom, a dad |
| en bror, en syster | a brother, a sister |
| en son, en dotter | a son, a daughter |
| ett barn | a child |
| en man, en fru | a husband, a wife |
| en sambo | a partner you live with |
| en vän, en granne | a friend, a neighbor |
| en katt, en hund | a cat, a dog |
Sambo means a partner you live with but are not married to. Man means man, and also husband.
Saying what you have with har
The verb ha means to have. Its present form is har, the same for every person.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Jag har en bror och en syster. | I have a brother and a sister. |
| Hon har en son. | She has a son. |
| Vi har en hund. | We have a dog. |
| De har två barn. | They have two children. |
| Kenji har en vän i Lund. | Kenji has a friend in Lund. |
| Jag har också en katt. | I also have a cat. |
Också means also or too. It comes right after the verb, in the same place as inte.
Barn keeps the same form after a number, so one child is ett barn and two children are två barn. Most other nouns change after a number, and that comes in a later chapter.
Asking with Har du
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Har du en bror? | Do you have a brother? |
| Ja, jag har en bror. | Yes, I have a brother. |
| Har ni en katt eller en hund? | Do you have a cat or a dog? |
| Vi har en hund och en katt. | We have a dog and a cat. |
The verb comes first, as in other yes or no questions. Eller means or. You will also hear such questions without en, as when people ask about pets or children. Both ways are fine.
To say that you have no brother, Swedish usually uses a word for no or none that comes in a later chapter. For now, answer with Nej.
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Jag har en barn. | Jag har ett barn. | Barn is an ett-word. |
| en hus | ett hus | Hus is an ett-word. Learn every noun with en or ett. |
| Hon ha en dotter. | Hon har en dotter. | Ha is the dictionary form. In a sentence about now, use har. |
| Jag också har en katt. | Jag har också en katt. | Också comes after the verb. |