Larmet är igång.

The alarm is running.

Breakdown of Larmet är igång.

• vara: to be
• larmet: the alarm
• igång: running; under way

Questions & Answers about Larmet är igång.

Why is it larmet and not just larm?

Because Swedish usually puts the definite article on the end of the noun.

• ett larm = an alarm
• larmet = the alarm

So larmet is the singular definite form. Since larm is an ett-word (a neuter noun), the definite ending is -et.

What exactly is är here?

Är is the present tense of vara, which means to be.

So:

• jag är = I am
• det är = it is
• larmet är = the alarm is

In this sentence, är links larmet to its state: igång.

What does igång do in the sentence?

Igång describes the state of the alarm. After är, it means something like on, active, running, or in operation, depending on context.

A useful way to learn it is as a chunk:

• vara igång = to be on / to be running / to be active

So Larmet är igång means the alarm is in an active state.

Is igång a preposition phrase like i gång, or should I just learn it as one word?