"I want to improve my Swedish."

Translation: Jag vill förbättra min svenska.

[ViolentRed]

No kidding!

[VadimLi]

Vem kan förklara mig nånting? Varför säger-skriver man "min svenska", när "språk" är ett-ord? Varför inte "mitt svenska"? Tack på förhand!

[Berniebud]

"Språk" itself is an ett word, but specific languages are "en" words.

"Min svenska, din tyska" etc

[Chris-Butler]

I thought it would make sense to say either mina svenska eller min svensk?

[Berniebud]

You're thinking of the adjectives. I was using the nouns "Svenska/Tyska", which refer to the languages themselves, instead of things that are "Svenska/Tyska".

However, even as an adjective, you couldn't say "Min svensk".

Possessive pronouns always take the definite form of adjectives, so you would always say "Min svenska [noun]", "Ditt tyska [noun]", etc, and never "Min svensk", "Ditt svenskt".

[Jeanmichel.37]

That's the same thing i was thinking, now it makes sense.

[Vithralas]

I guess that what I wrote ("Jag vill att förbättra min svenska") is wrong, but can anyone explain me, please, why there is no "att" here? :/

[Elbibian]

Thats... why I'm here

[James704885]

The irony of getting this specific translation wrong not only made me laugh but also hurt my heart. I feel like I have made no progress with this language and the worst is when I have questions the answer is 9 times out of 10, that it is just IDIOMATIC. That says learning the language requires less practice and rules and more just broad memorization and basically being born Swedish.

[EvelynOlson0]

How do you tell when to use 'min' and when to use 'mina'?

[EkorrenFlyger]

"Min" is for singular nouns, "Mina" is for plural nouns.

[TheLinguist47]

Can you tell? :)

[Stefania.Sar]

I feel you man...

[James704885]

I want to improve but duo is basically my only resource so I do not see improvement on the horizon.