Det är synd att inspelningen saknas.

Here det is a dummy subject or formal subject. It does not refer to a specific thing.

Swedish often uses det är ... in the same way English uses it is ... in sentences like:

• It is a shame that...
• It is important that...
• It is strange that...

So in Det är synd att inspelningen saknas, det does not mean that thing. It just fills the subject position.

In this sentence, synd means a pity, a shame, or too bad.

Grammatically, synd is a noun, not an adjective. The fixed expression det är synd att ... literally works like it is a shame that ....

Very common patterns are:

• Det är synd att du inte kan komma. = It’s a shame that you can’t come.
• Det var synd. = That’s a pity / Too bad.

So even though English often uses too bad or that’s unfortunate, Swedish commonly uses the noun synd in this structure.

Att here means that and introduces the clause inspelningen saknas.

So the sentence structure is:

• Det är synd = It’s a shame
• att inspelningen saknas = that the recording is missing

In English, that can often be omitted: It’s a shame the recording is missing.
In Swedish, att is normally used here and sounds natural.

Inspelningen is the definite singular form of inspelning, which means recording.

• en inspelning = a recording
• inspelningen = the recording

The ending -en is the definite ending for many en-words in Swedish.

So inspelningen means the recording, not just a recording.

Swedish uses the definite form when talking about a specific recording that is already understood from the context.

So:

• inspelningen = the recording, the one we are talking about
• en inspelning = a recording, any recording / one recording

If the speaker has a particular recording in mind, the definite form is the natural choice.

Saknas comes from the verb sakna.

• sakna usually means to miss or to lack
• saknas is the -s passive form

In this sentence, inspelningen saknas means the recording is missing.

Compare:

• Vi saknar inspelningen. = We are missing the recording / We do not have the recording.
• Inspelningen saknas. = The recording is missing.

So the -s form is used to express that something is absent or missing, without naming who notices or lacks it.

Yes, formally it is an -s passive form of sakna. But in practice, you should learn X saknas as a very common Swedish way to say X is missing.

It is often more natural in Swedish than trying to translate English word-for-word.

A few similar examples:

• En sida saknas. = A page is missing.
• Nyckeln saknas. = The key is missing.
• Information saknas. = Information is missing.

So yes, it is passive in form, but it functions as a standard expression for something not being there.

Because in Swedish subordinate clauses introduced by att, the normal order is:

att + subject + finite verb

So:

• att inspelningen saknas

Here:

• att = subordinator
• inspelningen = subject
• saknas = finite verb

This is different from main clauses, where Swedish often puts the verb in second position.

For example:

• Inspelningen saknas. = main clause
• Det är synd att inspelningen saknas. = subordinate clause after att

Not if you want the same meaning.

• att = that
• om = if

So:

• Det är synd att inspelningen saknas. = It’s a shame that the recording is missing.
• Det är synd om inspelningen saknas. would suggest something more like It’s a pity if the recording is missing, which changes the meaning and sounds less natural in this context.

Use att here.

Yes. That would also be natural, but the tone is a little different.

• Det är synd att ... = It’s a shame that ...
• Det är tråkigt att ... = It’s sad / unfortunate / disappointing that ...

Synd is very common for expressing pity or regret.
Tråkigt is also common, but it can feel a bit more like unfortunate or disappointing.

Both are possible depending on tone.

A careful pronunciation would be roughly:

De e synd att inspelningen saknas

A few useful points:

• Det är is very often pronounced more like de e in normal speech.
• synd has a short, clear vowel sound.
• att is often unstressed.
• inspelningen is pronounced approximately IN-spel-ning-en, with the main stress near the beginning.
• saknas is approximately SAK-nas, with stress on the first syllable.

In everyday speech, Swedish often reduces unstressed words quite a lot, especially det är.

Yes, for example:

• Inspelningen saknas. Det är synd.

That is grammatically fine. But Det är synd att inspelningen saknas sounds more connected and natural as one complete statement.

The one-sentence version is usually the more elegant and idiomatic way to express the idea.