These phrases are complicated and straightforward to combine up, additionally for superior customers of Swedish. The confusion usually arises from the assumption that these phrases ought to be differentiated in keeping with their which means, whereas actually it isn’t the which means that’s totally different, however how they’re getting used syntactically. Due to this fact, the next examples are formulated to point out the phrases inside a construction. Take note of what comes earlier than, and what comes after.

 

Lika + adjective

This one you in all probability know, however it’s value to revise. Lika can be used to say that two issues share the identical high quality.

 

Lisa och Jakob är lika långa.

[Lisa and Jakob are the same height]

Lisa är lika lång som Jakob.

[Lisa is as tall as Jakob]

Jakob är lika lång som Lisa.

[Jakob is as tall as Lisa]

 

Please observe it’s som, not än.

 

Lik, likt, lika

To start with, these are declined in keeping with gender and numbers. As for many adjectives, -t is added for ett phrases, and -a for the plural.

 

Min jacka är lik din. [My coat looks like yours]

Mitt hus är likt ditt. [My house looks like yours]

Mina skor är lika dina. [My shoes look like yours]

 

Additionally take note of the truth that lik/likt/lika can be utilized solely as predicate, that’s, after the noun it refers to, and after är/var.

 

It is usually value noting that one thing will be roughly lik/likt/lika one thing else:

Min jacka är mycket lik din.

Mitt hus är ganska likt ditt.

 

Liknar

In which means, liknar means the identical as lik/likt/lika, solely it’s a verb.

 

Min jacka liknar din. [My coat looks like yours]

Mitt hus liknar ditt. [My house looks like yours]

Mina skor liknar dina. [My shoes look like yours]

 

Liknande

Once more, in which means, liknande means precisely the identical as lik/likt/lika. It seems in a really totally different a part of a sentence although, at all times referring to a earlier assertion.

 

Vilket stort hus! Jag har aldrig sett något liknande.

[What a big house. I have never seen anything like that.]

 

Vi ska ha ett interaktivt möte. Har du någonsin gjort något liknande?

[We are going to have an interactive meeting. Have you ever done anything like that?]

 

På mitt förra jobb arbetade vi branschöverskrivande. Nu tänker jag starta ett liknande projekt.

[At my last job, we worked across sectors. Now, we are planning to start a similar project.]

 

Liknande can solely be used as an attribute (earlier than the noun), by no means as a predicate (after the noun).

 

Likadan, likadant, likadana

Identical to for lik, likt, lika, likadan shall be likadant (for ett phrases] and likadana (within the plural). Nonetheless, moderately than simply which means two issues are related, likadan suggests they’re an identical:

 

Min jacka är likadan (som) din. [My coat looks exactly the same as yours]

Mitt hus är likadant (som) ditt. [My house looks exactly the same as yours]

Mina skor är likadana (som) dina. [My shoes look exactly the same as yours.

 

However, it is more common to use it in the plural:

 

Våra jackor är likadana. [Our coats look exactly the same]

 

What can be attention-grabbing, is that versus lik/likt/lika, likadan/likadant/likadana can be utilized additionally as an attribute, that’s, earlier than the noun it describes.

 

Jag har en likadan jacka som du. [My coat looks exactly the same as yours]

Jag har ett likadant hus som du. [My house looks exactly the same as yours]

 

It will probably additionally stand alone, referring to a noun in a earlier sentence.

 

Vilken fin jacka du har. Jag har en likadan. [You have such a nice coat. I have one that looks the same]

 

An vital element about likadan/likadant/likadana is that these phrases can’t be roughly than they’re:

 

‘Min jacka är ganska/mycket likadan din’ doesn’t work.

 

One humorous element about likadan, is that it’s usually used along with ser ut [looks like], låter [sounds like] and verkar [seems like]:

 

All klassisk musik låter likadan, tycker jag.

[All classical music sounds the same to me]

 

Tvillingarna ser likadana ut.

[The twins look the same]

 

Det nya projektet verkar likadant.

[The new project seems to be the same]

 

This reveals that from the perspective of the one who states this, one thing could seem the identical, however admittedly solely as a result of that particular person just isn’t educated within the topic. I do know nothing about classical music, however to an skilled, there are many variations between totally different kinds. The twins could look the identical to non-family members, however their dad and mom don’t have any downside telling them aside. The brand new challenge could look precisely just like the earlier one, however that’s solely as a result of we don’t know all the small print but.

 

Samma

Samma in Swedish is extra the identical than the English equal. It means precisely the identical merchandise, not an an identical one.

 

De röstar på samma parti.

[They vote for the same party]

Barnen har inte samma pappa.

[The children do not have the same father]

 

It will get attention-grabbing although, from a philosophical perspective if you begin pondering of what you might be evaluating:

 

Maria och Lena har samma frisyr.

[Maria and Lena have the same haircut]

Maria och Lena har likadant hår.

[Maria and Lena have identical hair]

 

The haircut is in itself conceptual, to allow them to have precisely the identical haircut. The hair in itself although, they can not share, so the hair must be likadan.

 

That’s the reason you’ll hear some Swedes argue about:

 

Vi har likadana tröjor.

[Our jumpers look the same]

Vi har samma tröja.

[Our jumpers are the same]

 

The primary instance refers to 2 separate, bodily objects of clothes, whereas the second instance refers back to the design, the concept, the model.

 

Detsamma

Please observe that ‘det samma’ doesn’t exist, it’s merely a direct, and defective, translation of the English ‘the identical’. Detsamma does exist, but it surely means, roughly, ‘the identical to you’, or ‘you too’:

 

– Trevlig helg!

– Detsamma!

[Have a good weekend! / You too.]

 

Samma at all times comes with out an article:

 

Jag börjar jobba samma dag som du.

[I will start work the same day as you]

 

You may have, after all, already paid consideration to the som that follows samma, on this case. And that the noun following samma is at all times within the indefinite kind.

 

Phew!

I suppose you might be as drained as me now, so for now, I can’t speak concerning the reverse phrases: olik, olikt, olika and annorlunda. Subsequent time.

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