Litet

Litet is the neuter singular inflection of the Swedish adjective liten, meaning small or little. It is used to modify neuter nouns in indefinite phrases and in predicative position after linking verbs. The corresponding common-gender form is liten, which is used with en- nouns or with plural nouns in standard dialects (for example en liten bil, små bilar).

In practical use, attributive examples include ett litet hus (a small house) and ett litet problem. Predicative use appears in sentences such as huset är litet (the house is small). For non-neuter nouns, the appropriate form is liten: bilen är liten (the car is small). In plural contexts, the adjective typically takes the form små, regardless of the noun’s gender (små hus, små bilar).

Litet is not a separate lexical item with a distinct meaning; it is one inflected form of the adjective liten. Its choice depends on the gender and number of the noun it modifies, following standard Swedish adjective agreement rules. The word is common in everyday Swedish and appears in both spoken and written language, including descriptions, measurements, and everyday expressions.

Etymology follows from the base adjective liten, with inflection patterns typical of Swedish adjectives. Related forms include liten for common gender singular and, in other contexts, the neutral predicative usage with litet and the plural form små for multiple items.