"Jag tycker om de gula fåglarna."

Translation: I like the yellow birds.

[michiel412]

Why is there "de" in this sentence? Isn't this unnecessary because the we already know it's definite from the use of "fåglarna" intead of "fåglar"?

[Zmrzlina]

Swedish nouns often (but not always) require the construction with de/den/det when used with an adjective.

[Fekkezaum]

Ok, this is the first sign Swedish might not be as easy peasy as I first thought.

[HerMyKneeGinger]

That's when my red light went on as well.

[Menelion]

So what is the rule here? I thought "de gula fåglarna" meant "these yellow birds", no?

[Lundgren8]

No, that would be de här gula fåglarna or dessa gula fåglar.

[Menelion]

So, "Jag tycker om gula fåglarna" is simply incorrect?

[Lundgren8]

Yes. It can sometimes be left out, but not in your example.

[Dragonbrag]

I think it is similar to French. It has to do with an implied "some". Otherwise you would be saying you liked every single solitary yellow bird in existence.

[cesaradavidson]

I get this right, but I am confuse. the correct translation is... "I like the yellow birds" or "I like the yellow of the birds"

[Lundgren8]

The first one. The second one does not make sense.

[cesaradavidson]

It does make sense if you live in a tropical country where birds have more that one color...

My confusion arise from the fact the "De" (The) is us in the sentence. Why it is use if we have "Flagarna" (The birds)? This is what make me think the sentence was about the color of the bird and not about the bird itself.

[Arnauti]

The article is needed before adjective + determinate noun.

I'd translate I like the yellow of the birds as Jag tycker om fåglarnas gula färg or Jag tycker om den gula färgen på fåglarna. If you try to say that without adding the word färg 'color' in Swedish, it will sound very poetic/archaic.

[cesaradavidson]

Ok, now I get it. Thank very much Armauti!

[founaud]

Right

[Ukefish]

after reading all these comments i am still confused about the de article before an adjective. are there just certain adjectives/nouns that require it beforehand and i just have to learn them (if which is the case, which is it gula or fåglarna that requires is) or is there a way to predict that the sentence will have this random DE in it.?

[Arnauti]

If you're speaking about something determinate, with an adjective, you normally need to have an article first. (the only exception is things that are names or more or less like names, like Vita huset, 'the White house')
So whenever you have the + adjective + noun in English, it will be de/den/det + adjective + determinate noun in Swedish.

[g.uh]

It was taught in any lesson before that ? I didnt know that . I almos lost all my hearts

[Nithin.KA]

I understand the usage of den/det before adjectives. Is there any rule as to when to use de?

[Lundgren8]

It’s den if the noun is an en-word, det if it’s ett and de if it’s plural.

[Nithin.KA]

Thanks Lundgren !!

[AndreaJuniper]

this page has a really good thorough description of swedish grammar in general, but specifically part 3.2.2, under inflection under adjective gives a really good description complete with a table of this grammar structure that seems to be tripping everybody up.

[ElBuono]

Sorry, but which page? I am struggling with colours are there are no tips and notes for them to explain masculine, feminine, neuter and plural endings.

[lesliewilman]

The war-cry of Norwich City FC, "Come on, you Canaries"

[Shayla-anne]

What about "Jag tycker om de gula fåglar"?

[Arnauti]

The structure de gula fåglar is only used before a relative clause.

[Littlebennny]

i keep seeing this and thinking it says "färg" so i keep putting "i like the yellow paint."

[deactivated user]

Gul vs Gula?

[P2theeAT]

"Gul" describes "en" nouns, "Gult" describes "ett" nouns and "Gula" is for plural nouns.