Breakdown of Hans märkliga betyg är nog ett misstag.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
hans
his
misstaget
the mistake (blunder)
nog
probably
märklig
strange (peculiar, remarkable)
betyget
the grade
Questions & Answers about Hans märkliga betyg är nog ett misstag.
Why does märkliga end in -a when betyg is indefinite?
After a possessive word like Hans (his), the adjective must take its definite form, which ends in -a. However, the noun that follows must remain in the indefinite form. That is why we say Hans märkliga betyg instead of putting an -et on the end of betyg.
Is betyg singular or plural here?
betyg is an ett-word that looks the same in both singular and plural indefinite forms (ett betyg, several betyg). Here it means one single grade, which makes sense since it is compared to ett misstag (a single mistake).
Doesn't nog mean 'enough'?
Yes, nog means 'enough' when placed after an adjective (like bra nog for 'good enough'). But when used as a little modifying word in the middle of a sentence like it is here, it translates to 'probably' or 'likely'.
Could I use ett fel instead of ett misstag here?
ett fel means an error or something being incorrect, which works. But ett misstag specifically means a human mistake or an accident, which fits perfectly when talking about someone accidentally giving the wrong grade.
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