ABSTRACT
There are two Swedish alternatives corresponding to ‘that’ (and its plural form, ‘those’) used as a demonstrative pronoun. (See Basic Swedish, Unit 10.)
Den där (non-neuter) and det där (neuter) are common in spoken and informal written Swedish and usually refer to something tangible or present to which the speaker can point. They require an end article on the noun.
– Var bor den där mannen?. – Han bor i det där huset.
‘Where does that man live?’ ‘He lives in that house.’
Den (non-neuter), det (neuter), de (plural subj.), dem (plural obj.) are used in both spoken and written Swedish. These forms are stressed in spoken Swedish. They require an end article on a noun that follows.
Den skjortan passar inte till de byxorna. Den i vitt passar bättre.
That shirt doesn’t match those trousers. That (one) in white is a better match.
