bilen

Bilen is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun bil, which means a motor vehicle used for road travel. The word is used to refer to a car in general or to a specific car when the definite form is employed.

Grammatical notes: Bil is an en-word (common gender) in Swedish. The indefinite singular form is en bil, the definite singular form is bilen. The indefinite plural is bilar, and the definite plural is bilarna. The definite form signals that the car is known to the listener or has already been mentioned in the discourse.

Usage: In everyday language, bilen appears frequently when talking about an identifiable car. Examples include: Jag köpte en bil. (I bought a car.) Bilen står i garaget. (The car is in the garage.) Vi såg på den blå bilen. (We looked at the blue car.) The definite form helps clarify which car is being discussed in contexts where multiple cars may be involved.

Context and variation: Bilen is a standard term across formal, informal, spoken, and written Swedish. It coexists with the indefinite form en bil for introducing a car in general statements, and with bilar for referring to cars in general or in plural contexts. Related terms include andra for other cars and bilägare for car owners.