Questions & Answers about Spionen er svær at spore.
Why is it svær and not svært in this sentence?
The adjective svær describes the noun spionen (the spy). Because spion is a common-gender word (an en-word), the adjective takes the basic form svær. If the sentence started with an impersonal 'it' (det), as in 'Det er svært at spore spionen' (It is hard to track the spy), you would use the neuter form svært.
This lesson is about using for at. Why do we only use at here instead of for at spore?
We use for at when we mean 'in order to' (expressing a purpose). In this sentence, tracking the spy isn't a purpose. Instead, at spore links directly to the adjective svær to explain exactly what is hard about the spy. When an infinitive follows an adjective this way (like 'hard to track' or 'easy to read'), you just use at plus the verb.
Could I say 'Spionen er svær til at spore' instead?
No, but it is a common mix-up! We use til at for things that have a specific function or use (like vand til at drikke - water for drinking). When an adjective describes a quality that applies to performing an action on the subject (like being hard, easy, or fun to do), you drop the til and just use at plus the infinitive.
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