Breakdown of Igår försökte jag ringa dig, men din telefon var avstängd.
jag
I
vara
to be
ringa
to call
telefonen
the phone
igår
yesterday
försöka
to try
dig
you
men
but
din
your
avstängd
turned off
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Questions & Answers about Igår försökte jag ringa dig, men din telefon var avstängd.
Why is the time adverb "Igår" placed at the beginning of the sentence rather than after the subject?
In Swedish, it's common to start a sentence with a time adverb to immediately set the context. "Igår" (yesterday) at the beginning emphasizes when the action happened. Although English allows flexibility (e.g., "Yesterday, I tried to call you" or "I tried to call you yesterday"), Swedish often prefers placing the time element at the start.
How does the "försökte" + infinitive construction work in this sentence?
"Försökte" is the past tense of the verb "att försöka" (to try) and is used together with the infinitive "ringa" (to call) to express an attempt to perform an action. This structure, similar to the English "tried to call," requires the main verb to remain in its base or infinitive form after "försökte."
Why is the possessive determiner "din" used with "telefon" instead of "ditt"?
Swedish has two grammatical genders for nouns: common (en‑words) and neuter (ett‑words). "Telefon" is a common gender noun (en telefon), so the correct possessive form is "din" (your) rather than "ditt," which is used with neuter nouns.
What does the adjective "avstängd" mean and how is it formed?
"Avstängd" translates to "turned off" or "switched off." It is derived from the verb phrase "att stänga av" (to turn off). In this sentence, "telefon var avstängd" indicates that the phone was in the state of being turned off.
Why is a comma used before "men" in the sentence?
The comma separates two independent clauses that are connected by the coordinating conjunction "men" (but). This punctuation choice clarifies that the sentence is made up of two contrasting parts: one where the speaker tried to call, and one explaining that the phone was off.
Can the sentence be rearranged without changing its meaning?
Yes, the sentence can be rearranged. For example, you could say "Jag försökte ringa dig igår, men din telefon var avstängd." Both versions are correct—the original version with "Igår" at the front emphasizes the time of the event, while the alternative focuses first on the action.