👨‍👩‍👧 People & Family

En eller ett?

en generation

en-word

Generation (meaning "generation") is a common-gender noun in Swedish - it takes the article en. Definite singular: generationen. Indefinite plural: generationer. Definite plural: generationerna.

Indefinite en generation
Definite generationen
Plural generationer
Plural def. generationerna

Example sentences

1

en generation tar över.

indefinite singular

2

Hon inspirerar generationen.

definite singular

3

Släkten har generationer.

plural

Why is generation an en-word?

Nouns ending in -tion or -sion are almost always en-words

This is one of 30 rules of thumb in Artikulera for predicting Swedish grammatical gender. The rule isn't absolute, but it holds for the vast majority of nouns that match the pattern.

Rare exceptions exist, but this rule correctly predicts the gender of most Swedish nouns that match the pattern.

Same rule - also en-words

Artikulera icon

Practice generation in Artikulera

Train en/ett with spaced repetition, 30 rules of thumb, and 4,500+ nouns. Free to download.

Free · iPhone & iPad · iOS 17.6+

Frequently asked questions

Is generation en or ett in Swedish?
Generation (meaning "generation") is an en-word in Swedish. Indefinite: en generation. Definite: generationen. Plural: generationer. Definite plural: generationerna.
What is the definite form of generation?
The definite singular of generation is generationen. En-words take the suffix ‑en in the definite singular. The definite plural is generationerna.
What is the plural of generation in Swedish?
The indefinite plural of generation is generationer. The definite plural is generationerna.
Why is generation an en-word?
Nouns ending in -tion or -sion are almost always en-words. Generation follows this pattern.