Breakdown of Det känns bra när jag lyckas.
jag
I
det
it (neuter)
bra
good / well
när
when
kännas
to feel (to have a certain feel, to seem)
lyckas
to succeed
Questions & Answers about Det känns bra när jag lyckas.
Why do both känns and lyckas end in "-s"? Are they passive verbs?
No, they are not passive. They belong to a special group called deponent verbs. They always end in -s but have a completely active meaning. In this sentence, känns simply means "feels" and lyckas means "succeed".
What is the difference between känns and känner?
känner is used when a living thing actively feels an emotion or touches an object, like jag känner mig glad (I feel happy). känns is used to describe how a situation or thing feels to you. Because the subject here is the situation det (it), we must use känns.
Does the verb lyckas change in the present tense?
No, for many deponent verbs ending in -as, the present tense looks exactly the same as the infinitive form. The infinitive is att lyckas (to succeed) and the present tense is jag lyckas (I succeed). You do not add an extra "-er".
Why does the sentence use bra instead of gott for "good"?
While both can mean "good," gott is mostly used for food that tastes good or things that smell good. For a general situation, a feeling of success, or describing how well an event went, you always use bra.
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