Breakdown of Klockan är tyvärr i dåligt skick.
vara
to be
i
in
klockan
the clock
dålig
bad
tyvärr
unfortunately
skicket
the condition
Questions & Answers about Klockan är tyvärr i dåligt skick.
Why is it dåligt with a -t at the end instead of just dålig?
The adjective describes skick (condition), which is an ett-word (ett skick). When describing an indefinite singular ett-word, you must add a -t to the adjective. Notice that unlike the adjectives ending in -el or -er in this lesson, the stem of dålig is completely regular and doesn't drop any letters when taking endings.
If I started the sentence with tyvärr ("Unfortunately, the watch is..."), how would the word order change?
I learned klockan in phrases like "Vad är klockan?" (What time is it?). Does it also mean a physical watch?
Yes! En klocka is the word for any timepiece—a wristwatch, a wall clock, or a bell. When Swedes ask Vad är klockan?, they are literally asking "What is the clock?" Here, it just refers to the physical object itself.
Do you always use the preposition i for "in [blank] condition"?
Yes, Swedish uses the preposition i (in) with the word skick (condition), exactly like English. So "in bad condition" translates word-for-word to i dåligt skick.
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