🍽️ Food & Drink

En eller ett?

en mat

en-word

Mat (meaning "food") is a common-gender noun in Swedish - it takes the article en. Definite singular: maten. Indefinite plural: mat. Definite plural: maten.

Indefinite en mat
Definite maten
Plural mat
Plural def. maten

Example sentences

1

Han lagar mat.

indefinite singular

2

Han äter maten.

definite singular

3

De äter sina mat.

plural

Why is mat an en-word?

No simple rule - this one must be memorized

Not every Swedish noun follows a suffix or semantic pattern. Artikulera's spaced repetition system helps you drill words like this one until the gender feels automatic.

Artikulera teaches 30 rules of thumb that cover most Swedish nouns. For nouns like this one, regular practice is the most reliable path to fluency.

More - also en-words

Artikulera icon

Practice mat 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 mat en or ett in Swedish?
Mat (meaning "food") is an en-word in Swedish. Indefinite: en mat. Definite: maten. Plural: mat. Definite plural: maten.
What is the definite form of mat?
The definite singular of mat is maten. En-words take the suffix ‑en in the definite singular. The definite plural is maten.
What is the plural of mat in Swedish?
The indefinite plural of mat is mat. The definite plural is maten.
Why is mat an en-word?
Mat doesn't follow a simple suffix or semantic rule - its gender must be memorized.