Swedish Nouns for People & Family: En or Ett?
Swedish nouns for people, family members, and social roles - and their grammatical gender.
115
en-words
8
ett-words
123
total words
Words for people - whether family members, friends, or professional roles - are almost always en-words in Swedish. This is one of the most reliable patterns in the language: en mamma, en läkare, en vän, en president.
The most important exception is the word for child: barn is an ett-word in Swedish. "Ett barn" is firmly established and you will hear it constantly. This surprises many learners, since words for people are usually en. There is also "ett syskon" (a sibling) and "ett vittne" (a witness) among the ett-exceptions for person words.
Professional titles follow the same pattern reliably. You say en lärare (a teacher), en journalist (a journalist), en ingenjör (an engineer). Many of these end in -are, which is itself an en-word suffix - making the rule doubly reliable for job titles. If a role title ends in -are, you can be nearly certain it takes en.
Family vocabulary is an essential area to master early. Knowing en mamma, en pappa, en bror, en syster, en son, en dotter - and the crucial ett barn - gives you the building blocks for talking about everyday life, meeting people, and understanding Swedish media and literature.
👨👩👧 All People & Family Words (123)
123 words
Start practicing these People & Family words today in Artikulera
📲 Import these 123 words into Artikulera
Scan the QR code or tap the link on your phone to add this whole list to your practice list instantly.
Add to ArtikuleraRequires the app to be installed.
Practice these words in Artikulera
Spaced repetition, 30 rules of thumb, and 4,500+ nouns. Free to download.
Free · iPhone & iPad · iOS 17.6+
Frequently asked questions
- Are Swedish words for people en or ett?
- Almost all Swedish words for people are en-words: en person, en man, en kvinna, en lärare, en läkare. The main exception is barn (child), which is an ett-word: ett barn.
- Is 'barn' (child) en or ett in Swedish?
- Barn (child) is an ett-word: ett barn, barnet (definite), barn (plural), barnen (definite plural). This is the most important exception to the rule that person-words take en.
- Why do job titles usually take 'en' in Swedish?
- Most Swedish job titles end in -are (lärare, läkare, skräddare) or follow other en-word patterns. The -are suffix is one of the 30 rules of thumb for Swedish gender: nouns ending in -are are almost always en-words.