Back
Intermediate

Adjective Agreement

En/ett agreement and the definite -a form

Adjectives agree with the noun: base / -t / -a

Base form for common sg.; add -t for neuter sg.; add -a for plural.

📊 Adjective endings
Context Ending Example
indef. common sg. base en stor bil
indef. neuter sg. -t ett stort hus
plural (all genders) -a stora bilar
definite (all) -a den stora bilen
💬 Examples
en stor bil / ett stort hus / stora bilar
a big car / a big house / big cars
📝 stor / stort / stora
en röd äpple / ett rött äpple / röda äpplen
a red apple (en) / a red apple (ett) / red apples
📝 röd / rött / röda
Definite adjective always takes -a

In all definite contexts — common, neuter, plural — the adjective ends in -a.

💬 Examples
den stora bilen / det stora huset
the big car / the big house
📝 both use -a even though different genders
de gamla husen
the old houses
📝 plural definite: -a on adjective
Predicate adjectives agree with the subject

After vara (to be), the adjective agrees with the subject noun.

💬 Examples
Bilen är stor. / Huset är stort.
The car is big. / The house is big.
📝 predicate: stor (en) / stort (ett)
Barnen är trötta.
The children are tired.
📝 predicate plural: -a form