Breakdown of Det är ju knappt femtio meter till scenen.
vara
to be
till
to (direction, destination)
femtio
fifty
scenen
the stage
ju
as you know / of course
det
there (dummy subject)
knappt
just under
metern
the meter
Questions & Answers about Det är ju knappt femtio meter till scenen.
How does knappt work in this sentence?
It means "barely" or "just under." The speaker is saying the distance is slightly less than fifty meters. If it were slightly more than fifty meters, you would use its opposite, drygt (just over).
What is the purpose of the word ju here?
ju is a common Swedish word used when you state something you think the listener already knows or will agree with. It translates roughly to "you know" or "of course." Here, the speaker is emphasizing that the stage is obviously very close.
Why doesn't the word meter get a plural ending after femtio?
In Swedish, units of measurement (like meter, liter, or mil) usually keep their singular form when they come directly after a number. You say en meter, and you also say femtio meter.
What is the base form of the word scenen?
The base word is en scen (a stage). scenen is the singular definite form, meaning "the stage."
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