Learn Hardcore Swedish: Numret var fel, men hennes svar var rätt. - The number was wrong, but her answer was right.

Nummer is a neuter noun (an ett-word): ett nummer. In the definite singular, neuter nouns take the ending -et, so it becomes numret. Plurals:

Indefinite plural: nummer
Definite plural: numren (you’ll also hear nummerna in informal speech)

Why do fel and rätt have no endings here?

They’re used predicatively after vara (to be). In this predicative use:

fel is invariable: Det är/var fel.
rätt is commonly invariable as well: Det är/var rätt; Hennes svar var rätt. If you want an adjective that clearly inflects for number/gender, use korrekt/korrekta or riktig/riktigt/riktiga.

Could I say Numret var felaktigt or Svaret var korrekt/riktigt instead? Any nuance?

Yes.

fel vs felaktig(t): fel is very common and neutral; felaktig(t) is a bit more formal/technical. Because nummer is neuter, you’d say felaktigt predicatively: Numret var felaktigt.
rätt vs korrekt/riktig(t): rätt and riktig(t) are everyday; korrekt is more formal. Note riktig also means “real/proper” in other contexts.

Why is there a comma before men?

It links two independent main clauses. Swedish often sets a comma before men in this situation: Numret var fel, men hennes svar var rätt. Omitting the comma is common in informal writing, but the comma is standard and clear.

Why is it hennes and not sin/sitt/sina?

hennes is a non‑reflexive possessive (“her”). sin/sitt/sina is reflexive and refers back to the subject of the same clause. Here, the clause subject is hennes svar, so there’s no clause-internal subject she could refer back to with sin. Compare:

Hon tyckte att sitt svar var rätt. (her own answer)
Hon tyckte att hennes svar var rätt. (some other woman’s answer)

Why is there no article on hennes svar? Why not hennes svaret?

Swedish does not use the definite ending or a definite article together with a possessive. So it’s hennes svar (“her answer”), not hennes svaret. Compare:

svaret = “the answer”
det rätta svaret = “the correct answer” (double definiteness with an adjective)
hennes svar = “her answer” (no double definiteness with possessives) If you need a definite sense with a possessive, rephrase: Hennes svar var det rätta.

What word order rules are at play after men? Does Swedish still use verb‑second (V2)?

Yes. After men, the following clause is a normal main clause with V2:

Men hennes svar var rätt. (Subject = first slot, verb = second) If you front something else, the verb still comes second:
Men då var hennes svar rätt.

Could hennes svar be singular or plural here?

Yes, it can be ambiguous, because svar is the same in singular and plural indefinite.

To make plural clear, use an adjective that shows plural: Hennes svar var korrekta/riktiga.
To make singular clear, use context or rephrase: Hennes svar på fråga 3 var rätt. / Svaret var rätt. / Hennes svar var det rätta.

What’s the difference between Numret var fel, Det var fel nummer, and Det var fel på numret?

Numret var fel: the number itself was incorrect (e.g., printed/written wrong).
Det var fel nummer: it was the wrong number (e.g., you dialed the wrong one).
Det var fel på numret: there was something wrong with the number (idiomatic “there’s something wrong with …”), e.g., a digit missing.

Why is it var and not är or blev?

var = past state: “was.”
är = present state: “is.” Example: Numret är fel, men hennes svar är rätt.
blev = “became/ended up (being).” Use for a change/result: Det blev fel när jag skrev numret.

Can I rephrase it with a verb, like “She answered correctly”?

Yes:

Hon svarade rätt. (She answered correctly.)
Hon svarade korrekt. (More formal.)
The opposite: Hon svarade fel.

Is men the only way to say “but”? What about utan and fast?

men = general “but.”
utan = “but rather/instead,” used after a negation: Det var inte numret, utan namnet, som var fel.
fast = colloquial “though”: Numret var fel, fast hennes svar var rätt.

How do you pronounce the tricky words here?

Approximate IPA (Swedish standard) and hints:

numret [/ˈnʉmːrɛt/] – first syllable stressed; Swedish u is a fronted “oo.”
var [/vɑːr/] – long open “a.”
fel [/feːl/] – long “e.”
men [/meːn/] – long “e.”
hennes [/ˈhɛnːɛs/] – double n is longer.
svar [/svaːr/] – long “a.”
rätt [/rɛtː/] – “ä” like “e” in “bed,” long/doubled “t.”