"the Stadhus" or "the Stadhuset"?

Alun

OK, if you were translating a Swedish text for tourists referring to the above, would you effectively add a second, redundant, definite article and say " ... the Stadhuset" which only sounds silly if you know Swedish, or say "... the Stadhus" but make people wonder whether "Stadhus" and "Stadhuset" were the same thing if they saw it on a sign or on a map? I have to say that neither really appeals, but what would you do?

XT_Dweezil

It would be neither.

It´s "Stadshuset" (City Hall)

"Stadhus" is jebberish swedish and would mean cityhouse (no meaning to it)
"Stadhuset" is missing the "s"

markisevil

I'd drop the "the" in either case and just say "Stadshuset". The chance of their being two or more in any given Swedish town is small, so there's no room for confusion.

You'd never write "the City Hall" in English, either.

Alun

XT_Dweezil wrote:

It would be neither.

It´s "Stadshuset" (City Hall)

"Stadhus" is jebberish swedish and would mean cityhouse (no meaning to it)
"Stadhuset" is missing the "s"

OK, so I missed out one letter, you knew what I meant anyway, so drop the sarcasm, eh?

While we're on the subject, there's no such word as "jebberish" either, it's spelt with a "g" and an "i", as in "gibberish"

XT_Dweezil

Alun wrote:

While we're on the subject, there's no such word as "jebberish" either, it's spelt with a "g" and an "i", as in "gibberish"

ok

Alun

XT_Dweezil wrote:

ok

No problem, it can be difficult sometimes keeping languages, and all their peculiarities distinct in your head. The last time I used any Swedish was 4 years ago when I was learning it in Holland. I tried to continue my studies here in Dublin, but that just proved too difficult / expensive.

I speak fluent Dutch, for example, and in Dutch it's "stadhuis", but most other compound words involving "stad" have an "s", "stadsbeeld", "stadsbewoner", etc. I think it's a throwback to the old genitive case that was present in old Dutch. So sometimes there's just no logic to the way these kind of compound words are formed, and sometimes they even change from time to time when various spelling reforms (something the Dutch and Germans are very fond of) are brought in.

XT_Dweezil

But it´s almost the same with "en" och "ett", they both mean "one", but you have to know when to use which one .