Breakdown of När maskinen startas är den ljudlös.
vara
to be
den
it (common)
maskinen
the machine
när
when
starta
to start (a machine, engine, business)
ljudlös
silent
Questions & Answers about När maskinen startas är den ljudlös.
How does the suffix -lös change the meaning of the word in ljudlös?
The suffix -lös works exactly like the English suffix "-less" to mean "without". By adding it to the noun ljud (sound), it creates the adjective ljudlös meaning "soundless" or "silent".
Why is the verb written as startas instead of startar?
The -s at the end creates the passive form of the verb. Instead of saying the machine starts something else, startas means that the machine "is started" by someone or something.
Why does the second part of the sentence say är den ljudlös instead of den är ljudlös?
This is because of the Swedish V2 rule, where the verb must be in the second position of the main sentence. The entire "when" clause (När maskinen startas) counts as position number one, so the verb är must come right after it, swapping places with the subject den.
Why do we use den here to say "it" instead of det?
The pronoun refers back to maskinen. Because en maskin is an en-word, you must use den to say "it". You would only use det if you were referring back to an ett-word.
Could I use the word tyst instead of ljudlös here?
You could, but they have a slightly different feel. While tyst means "quiet" or "silent", ljudlös specifically emphasizes being completely "without sound". Using ljudlös here highlights that the machine makes absolutely no noise at all.
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