Learn Swedish: Tyvärr förstördes fästningen i kriget. - Unfortunately, the fortress was destroyed in the war.

Tyvärr förstördes fästningen i kriget.

Unfortunately, the fortress was destroyed in the war.

Breakdown of Tyvärr förstördes fästningen i kriget.

Questions & Answers about Tyvärr förstördes fästningen i kriget.

How do we know to use förstördes instead of förstörades for the passive past tense here?

To form the s-passive in the past tense, you take the regular active past tense of the verb and add an -s. The verb förstöra (to destroy) has the past tense form förstörde. Adding an -s to that gives us förstördes. The -ades ending is only for verbs whose active past tense ends in -ade.

Why does the passive verb förstördes come before the subject fästningen?

This is a great reminder of the Swedish V2 rule. Because the sentence starts with the adverb tyvärr (unfortunately), the verb must take the second position. This pushes the subject fästningen (the fortress) to the third position, right after the verb.

Is the word fästningen (the fortress) related to the adjective fast (firm or solid)?

Yes, it is! A fästning is built from the same root as fast (firm, solid) and the verb att fästa (to secure or fasten). It conceptually describes a secured or fortified place.

Could I say under kriget instead of i kriget?