Breakdown of Meddelandet är inte otydligt. – Jo, det är tvärtom mycket otydligt.
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
mycket
much / very
inte
not
meddelandet
the message
jo
yes (in response to a negative)
otydlig
unclear
tvärtom
on the contrary
Questions & Answers about Meddelandet är inte otydligt. – Jo, det är tvärtom mycket otydligt.
Why do we use jo here instead of ja?
The first sentence contains a negative word, inte. In Swedish, whenever you reply "yes" to contradict a negative statement or a negative question, you must use jo instead of ja. It essentially means "Yes, it actually is!"
Why does otydligt end with a -t?
Otydligt describes the noun meddelandet (the message). Because ett meddelande is an ett-word, adjectives describing it need a -t added to the end (the root word is otydlig). This agreement rule applies even when the adjective comes after the verb.
Does the o- in otydligt work just like "un-" in English?
Yes, exactly. In Swedish, the prefix o- is very commonly used to make an adjective negative, just like "un-", "in-", or "im-" in English. Since tydlig means "clear", adding o- makes it otydlig (unclear).
How is tvärtom used in this sentence?
Tvärtom translates to "on the contrary" or "the other way around." It is used to emphatically show that the exact opposite of what was just said is true. Note that it is used for abstract concepts and opinions; you wouldn't use it for physical locations like "the opposite side of the room."
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