Comparative Pronouns
What are comparative pronouns?
Comparative pronouns relate one person or thing to another by expressing ideas such as the same, another, that kind of, or the same kind.
Samma
Samma means the same and does not change with gender or number.
Vi har samma lärare.We have the same teacher.
De bor i samma stad.They live in the same city.
It can also be followed by som when the comparison is stated explicitly.
Hon har samma tröja som jag.She has the same sweater as I do.
In spoken Swedish, it is extremely common to treat som like a preposition and use the object form: Hon har samma tröja som mig.(She has the same sweater as me.) In more formal writing, the subject form is traditionally preferred: Hon har samma tröja som jag.(She has the same sweater as I do.) Here, som jag can be understood as a shortened subordinate clause: som jag har.
Annan, annat and andra
Annan means another or other and changes according to gender and number.
Kan jag få en annan kopp?Can I have another cup?
Det finns kanske ett annat sätt.Perhaps there is another way.
De andra eleverna gick hem.The other students went home.
When used standalone (de) andra means (the) others.
When the comparison is stated explicitly, annan can be followed by än.
Jag tog en annan buss än du.I took a different bus than you did.
It is also extremely common in spoken Swedish that än is followed by an object pronoun: Jag tog en annan buss än dig.(I took a different bus than you.)
Sådan, sådant and sådana
Sådan refers to a particular type or kind of person or thing.
Jag har aldrig sett en sådan bil förut.I have never seen a car like that before.
Det finns inga sådana här.There are none like that here.
In everyday speech, the shorter forms sån, sånt, and såna are also very common.
These words can stand on their own meaning that sort or that one: Jag har inte sett en sådan förut.(I have not seen one like that before.)
Likadan, likadant and likadana
Likadan means that people or things are alike in relevant characteristics.
Jag köpte en likadan jacka.I bought an identical jacket.
Syskonen ser likadana ut.The siblings look alike.
Hon har en likadan tröja som jag.She has a sweater just like mine.
Samma usually points to the same identity, while likadan means that two things are alike. Two people can therefore have likadana jackor without wearing samma jacka. Samma can also mean the same kind or model, depending on context.