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Hon spelar alltid det nya instrumentet skickligt.

Hon spelar alltid det nya instrumentet skickligt.
She always plays the new instrument skilfully.
From Lesson 90:Adverbs from adjectives (-t)·Swedish

Questions & Answers about Hon spelar alltid det nya instrumentet skickligt.

Why does skickligt end in a -t?
It is acting as an adverb here, describing how she plays. In Swedish, you normally create an adverb from an adjective by adding a -t to the end, similar to adding -ly in English. The base adjective is skicklig (skilful), which becomes skickligt (skilfully).
Why use spelar here instead of leker?
While both words translate to play in English, they are used differently in Swedish. Spelar is used for playing instruments, sports, or games. Leker is used for children playing or playing make-believe.
Why does the adjective nya end in an -a?
This happens because of the Swedish double definiteness rule. When you have a specific noun phrase using det ... instrumentet (the ... instrument), the adjective in the middle must take its definite form. For almost all adjectives, the definite form simply ends in -a.
Why is alltid placed right after spelar, rather than before it like in English?
In English, we say always plays, but Swedish main clauses follow the V2 rule. This means the verb must be the second piece of information in the sentence. Since Hon is first, the verb spelar must come second. Short adverbs like alltid usually go immediately after this verb.

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