Breakdown of Bogstavet er netop så sirligt.
være
to be
så
then, so
netop
just, exactly
bogstavet
the letter (of the alphabet)
sirlig
neat
Questions & Answers about Bogstavet er netop så sirligt.
How does netop change the meaning here, and could I just use præcis?
Netop adds an emphatic focus, meaning 'precisely' or 'exactly'. You could use præcis here (præcis så sirligt), but netop often implies a connection to something previously mentioned or expected, like confirming a shared observation about the handwriting.
Wait, why is 'the letter' translated as bogstavet instead of brevet?
In Danish, et bogstav is a letter of the alphabet, whereas et brev is a letter you send in the mail. Because it is described as sirligt (neat or meticulously drawn), this sentence is talking about handwriting or typography, not a piece of postal mail.
Why is there a -t at the end of sirligt?
Sirlig (neat or meticulous) is an adjective describing bogstavet. Because et bogstav is a neuter noun, the adjective must take the neuter -t ending, even though it comes after the verb er.
The English translation says 'exactly THAT neat'. Why does the Danish use så instead of a word for 'that'?
In Danish, to express a specific degree of an adjective (like 'that big' or 'that neat'), you use så. Saying netop så sirligt literally means 'exactly so neat,' which is the natural Danish equivalent to the English 'exactly that neat'.
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