Breakdown of Han hoppas att det inte är pinsamt att förklara sitt misstag.
vara
to be
han
he
det
it (neuter)
inte
not
sin
his/her/its/their own (en-word)
förklara
to explain
att
that
misstaget
the mistake (blunder)
hoppas
to hope
pinsam
embarrassing
Questions & Answers about Han hoppas att det inte är pinsamt att förklara sitt misstag.
Why does pinsamt end with a -t here?
In adjective + infinitive constructions like pinsamt att förklara (embarrassing to explain), the adjective always takes the neuter -t form. This is because it describes the action of explaining, which grammatically pairs with the neuter dummy pronoun det (it).
Why does the word inte come before the verb är?
Because att det inte är pinsamt is a subordinate clause (a clause introduced by att). In Swedish subordinate clauses, adverbs like inte must come before the conjugated verb. You might remember this as the BIFF rule.
Why is it sitt misstag instead of hans misstag?
We use the reflexive possessive sitt (his own) because the mistake belongs to the subject of the sentence (Han). If we used hans, it would mean he was explaining a different man's mistake. We use the t-form sitt instead of sin because misstag is an ett word.
Why does the verb hoppas end in an -s? Is it a passive verb?
No, hoppas is an s-verb. These are special verbs that always end in -s but have a normal, active meaning. In this case, it simply means hopes.
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