How Swedish expresses quantities of an measurement

How Swedish Expresses Quantities of Measurement

In Swedish, expressing quantities generally follows straightforward counting for objects, for example:

This represents normal pluralization when counting.

However, for measurements and quantities of non-countable substances or abstract measures, Swedish often uses different constructions that may not be as obvious as simple numbers plus plural nouns. These include partitive forms or quantified expressions that distinguish between countable items and measurable amounts.

Examples and Observations

While common counting uses plural nouns, quantities in measurements might involve phrases that do not simply pluralize the noun but instead modify it, like using units or collective terms.

The original post mentions seeing “the next thing” briefly without full clarity, implying a more complex pattern exists in Swedish for expressing amounts, particularly with measurements rather than discrete objects.

"Två hundar, tre träd, fyra kattar; that's normal counting."

The comment hints at the contrast between basic counting and how quantities of measurements might be structured differently in Swedish.

This illustrates that Swedish distinguishes between countable items and measured quantities, often reflected in unique grammatical or lexical structures.

<AUTHOR'S SUMMARY>Swedish uses standard plural forms for counting objects, but expressing measurements often involves distinct grammatical patterns that differ from simple pluralization.

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Reddit · r/Svenska Reddit · r/Svenska — 2025-11-29

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