Breakdown of Reparationen av staketet var mycket dyrare än vi trodde.
vara
to be
vi
we
mycket
much / very
tro
to believe
dyr
expensive
av
of, by / from (cause)
än
than
staketet
the fence
reparationen
the repair
Questions & Answers about Reparationen av staketet var mycket dyrare än vi trodde.
Why does it say mycket dyrare instead of using a word for "more" like in the English translation "much more expensive"?
In Swedish, the comparative form of the adjective (dyrare meaning "more expensive") stands on its own. You usually don't add a word for "more" (like mer) in front of it. To intensify the comparison, you just put mycket (much) directly before the comparative word, making it literally "much expensiver".
Why use trodde here instead of tyckte or tänkte for "thought"?
Use tro (past tense trodde) when you are making a guess, assumption, or expressing a belief about a fact, like estimating the price of a repair. You would use tycka for a subjective personal opinion, and tänka for the cognitive act of thinking or planning.
Why does staketet end in -et?
The word for fence, staket, is an ett-word. Because the sentence says "the fence" (definite form), you add the definite suffix -et to the end, resulting in staketet.
Could I say staketets reparation instead of reparationen av staketet?
Yes, you could use the possessive s-ending and say staketets reparation. However, using av (of) to say "the repair of the fence" is very common and natural in Swedish, especially when the noun taking possession is an object rather than a person.
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