Matchen var otrolig.

Because -en is the definite article attached to the noun.

• match = a match
• matchen = the match

In Swedish, the definite article is usually added to the end of the noun instead of being a separate word like the in English.

So:

• en match = a match
• matchen = the match

Var is the past tense of the verb vara, which means to be.

So:

• är = is / are (present tense)
• var = was (past tense)

That means Matchen var otrolig is in the past tense.

Because otrolig agrees with the gender and number of the noun it describes.

Matchen comes from en match, so it is a common gender noun (en-word). When an adjective is used with an en-word in the singular, the basic form is often used:

• en otrolig match
• matchen var otrolig

You often get otroligt with ett-words:

• ett otroligt mål = an incredible goal

And with plural or definite adjective phrases, you often get otroliga:

• otroliga matcher = incredible matches
• den otroliga matchen = the incredible match

It can mean several closely related things depending on context, such as:

• incredible
• amazing
• unbelievable
• sometimes even immense or extraordinary

In everyday Swedish, otrolig is very common as a strong positive adjective, especially in speech:

• Det var otroligt! = That was incredible!

So in this sentence, it likely means something like The match was incredible / amazing.

This is the normal Swedish word order for a simple statement:

subject + verb + complement

Here:

• Matchen = subject
• var = verb
• otrolig = subject complement / adjective describing the subject

This is very similar to English:

• The match was incredible.

So for a basic statement, the structure is straightforward.

You technically can rearrange Swedish word order for style or emphasis, but it is not the neutral everyday way to say it.

• Matchen var otrolig = normal, standard statement
• Otrolig var matchen = more literary, dramatic, or marked

A learner should usually stick with Matchen var otrolig unless there is a special reason to emphasize otrolig.

A rough learner-friendly pronunciation might be:

MAHT-chen var oo-too-ROO-lig

A few notes:

• matchen: the ch here sounds like sh in many speakers’ pronunciation of this word, since the word comes from match
• var: sounds roughly like vahr
• otrolig: stress is usually on -tro-

A more careful point: Swedish pronunciation varies a bit by dialect, so exact sound details can differ.

Yes. Match is a common Swedish noun, borrowed from English, especially in sports contexts.

Examples:

• en match = a match / game
• två matcher = two matches
• matchen = the match

Swedish uses many loanwords, and this is a completely normal one.

You would use är instead of var:

• Matchen är otrolig. = The match is incredible.

So:

• var = was
• är = is

You would change both the noun and the adjective:

• Matcherna var otroliga. = The matches were incredible.

Breakdown:

• matchen = the match
• matcherna = the matches
• otrolig → otroliga in the plural

So adjective agreement changes with number.

Because Swedish usually expresses definiteness by adding an ending to the noun.

Instead of saying:

• the match

Swedish usually says:

• matchen

This is one of the most important differences from English. The definite article is often a suffix:

• boken = the book
• bilen = the car
• matchen = the match

Yes. Many adjectives would work depending on the meaning you want:

• Matchen var fantastisk. = The match was fantastic.
• Matchen var spännande. = The match was exciting.
• Matchen var bra. = The match was good.
• Matchen var hemsk. = The match was awful.

So the sentence pattern is very reusable:

[subject] + var + [adjective]

The basic adjective form is the same here, but the structure is different.

Before a noun:

• en otrolig match = an incredible match

After var:

• Matchen var otrolig = The match was incredible

In both cases, otrolig agrees with an en-word singular noun. So the form stays the same.

The difference is grammatical function:

• before the noun = adjective modifying the noun directly
• after var = predicate adjective describing the subject