🫀 Body & Health

En eller ett?

en smärta

en-word

Smärta (meaning "pain") is a common-gender noun in Swedish - it takes the article en. Definite singular: smärtan. Indefinite plural: smärtor. Definite plural: smärtorna.

Indefinite en smärta
Definite smärtan
Plural smärtor
Plural def. smärtorna

Example sentences

1

Hon kände en smärta.

indefinite singular

2

Hon kände smärtan.

definite singular

3

Vi känner smärtor.

plural

Why is smärta an en-word?

Nouns with an unstressed -a ending 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

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Frequently asked questions

Is smärta en or ett in Swedish?
Smärta (meaning "pain") is an en-word in Swedish. Indefinite: en smärta. Definite: smärtan. Plural: smärtor. Definite plural: smärtorna.
What is the definite form of smärta?
The definite singular of smärta is smärtan. En-words take the suffix ‑en in the definite singular. The definite plural is smärtorna.
What is the plural of smärta in Swedish?
The indefinite plural of smärta is smärtor. The definite plural is smärtorna.
Why is smärta an en-word?
Nouns with an unstressed -a ending are almost always en-words. Smärta follows this pattern.