Krossar du spegeln, får du otur.

Questions & Answers about Krossar du spegeln, får du otur.

Where is the word for 'if' in this sentence?
There isn't one! In Swedish, you can create a conditional clause simply by starting the sentence with the verb. Krossar du means exactly the same thing as Om du krossar (If you shatter). This is a very common structure.
Why does the second half say får du otur instead of du får otur?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire first clause (Krossar du spegeln) counts as the first block of information. Therefore, the main clause verb (får) must come immediately after the comma, pushing the subject (du) into the next spot.
How does the word otur work?
The Swedish word for luck is tur. By adding the prefix o- (which acts like 'un-' or 'non-' in English), it becomes otur, meaning bad luck. You will see this prefix used to create opposites in many other words.
Why is it spegeln and not en spegel?
Just like the English translation ('the mirror'), the Swedish sentence uses the definite form. Spegel is an en-word, so it takes the suffix -n to mean 'the mirror'.

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