Breakdown of Recensenten gäspade ofta, vilket betyder att föreställningen var usel.
vara
to be
ofta
often
vilket
which (ett) / what a (ett-word, exclamatory)
att
that
betyda
to mean, to signify
föreställningen
the performance (show)
usel
awful
recensenten
the critic
gäspa
to yawn
Questions & Answers about Recensenten gäspade ofta, vilket betyder att föreställningen var usel.
Why do we use vilket here instead of som for "which"?
In Swedish, you use vilket when "which" refers back to an entire situation or clause. Here, it refers to the whole fact that the critic yawned often. If "which" referred to a specific noun, you would use som.
Could I use något som instead of vilket in this sentence?
Yes, you could say ...något som betyder att... which translates to "something that means that". Both vilket and något som work well for referring back to a complete thought. Vilket is just slightly more formal and very common in writing.
Where does the word föreställningen come from?
It is the definite form of en föreställning, meaning a performance or a show. It is built from the verb att föreställa (to represent or depict) plus the suffix -ning, which turns verbs into nouns just like "-tion" or "-ing" in English.
What kind of word is usel?
Usel is a strong adjective meaning awful, lousy, or miserable. It is a great alternative to simply saying mycket dålig. Because it describes föreställningen (an en-word), it takes the basic en-form here. For an ett-word it would be uselt, and the plural is usla.
If I wanted to say the performance was NOT awful, where would inte go?
Because att föreställningen var usel is a subordinate clause, you need to use the rule that places sentence adverbs like inte before the first verb. It would become ...att föreställningen inte var usel.
Learn Recensenten gäspade ofta, vilket betyder att föreställningen var usel and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free