Page:A simplified grammar of the Swedish language.djvu/68

50 persons of both sexes, in addressing equals no less than superiors; as, Hur många personer är herrskapet? 'How many of you are there?'

Fru, Fröken, Mrs., Madam, Miss, are respectively used with the third person in addressing a married or unmarried lady. Ladies take the rank of their husbands and share in their social designations; as, Generalinna, 'Mrs. General;' Prestinna, 'the clergyman's wife (Mrs. Pastor).'

The reflective pronoun sig may be used to refer to the third person in the plural, as well as the singular; as, gossarne öfva sig, 'the boys are practising (themselves);' hon, närmade sig presten, 'she drew (herself) near the clergyman.'

The possessive pronoun sin, sitt, sine, 'his' 'hers,' 'its,' can only be used in the subjective reflective sense, while hans, hennes, dess, have an objective significance; as, han går hem till de sina, 'he is going home to his own children (or family);' jag visste ej hans son var död, 'I did not know that his son was dead.'

The possessive is sometimes used in the place of the personal pronoun in interjections and familiar expressions of endearment, lament, etc.; as,  söda lilla ängel, 'thou sweet little angel!'  stackare! 'poor me!'

The demonstrative pronouns den, det, de, when combined with här, 'here,' and der, 'there,' indicate respectively 'this' and 'that;' as, det träd är högre än det , 'this tree is higher than that one.' Det is used impersonally in the sense of 'there;' as, det har varit en tiggare här, 'there has been a beggar here.'