Questions & Answers about Vad synd att vittnet inte ringde.
Why does the sentence start with Vad synd?
Vad synd is a very common Swedish expression meaning what a pity, what a shame, or too bad.
Literally, vad means what, and synd can mean pity/shame in this expression. So Vad synd! is used much like English What a pity!
In this sentence, Vad synd att ... means It’s a pity that ...
So:
- Vad synd! = What a pity!
- Vad synd att vittnet inte ringde. = What a pity that the witness didn’t call.
Does synd literally mean sin?
It can, yes. Synd is related to the English word sin, and in religious contexts it can mean sin.
But in everyday Swedish, very often synd means pity, shame, or a shame depending on context.
For example:
- Det är synd. = That’s a shame / That’s too bad.
- Vad synd! = What a pity!
So in this sentence, synd definitely does not mean sin.
What is att doing here?