Breakdown of Det är besvärligt och frustrerande att göra fel.
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
och
and
göra
to do, to make
att
to
felet
the mistake
besvärlig
troublesome
frustrerande
frustrating
Questions & Answers about Det är besvärligt och frustrerande att göra fel.
Why does besvärligt end in a -t here?
In Swedish, when you use the pattern Det är [adjective] att [verb], the adjective always takes the neuter -t form. This is because it is describing the dummy pronoun Det, which acts as a placeholder for the action of making mistakes.
Since they are both describing the same thing, why doesn't frustrerande also get a -t at the end?
frustrerande is a present participle (a verb turned into a descriptive word, ending in -ande or -ende). Unlike regular adjectives like besvärlig, these participles are invariable, meaning they never change their endings to match gender or number.
Why use göra fel instead of a literal translation for 'make mistakes'?
While you can say göra ett misstag (make a mistake), göra fel (literally 'do wrong') is a very common and natural way to express making a mistake or getting something wrong in everyday Swedish.
Could I flip the sentence around and start with the action?
Yes, you can say Att göra fel är besvärligt och frustrerande. Both are grammatically correct, but starting with the placeholder subject Det is usually preferred and sounds more natural in conversation.
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