Breakdown of Tanken är att försöka på ett annat sätt.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
att
to
försöka
to try
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
annan
other / another (en-word)
tanken
the thought
sättet
the way
Questions & Answers about Tanken är att försöka på ett annat sätt.
Why is it annat and not annan in this sentence?
It depends on the gender of the noun it describes. The noun sätt (way or manner) is an ett-word (ett sätt). Therefore, the word for another must take the neuter form annat. If it were describing an en-word, like en idé (an idea), you would use annan (en annan idé).
Why is the preposition på used instead of a literal translation like i for in another way?
In Swedish, the preposition på is used together with the word sätt to express how something is done. While English says in a way, Swedish literally says on a way (på ett sätt). Prepositions rarely translate word-for-word between languages, so it is best to memorize på ett sätt as a fixed chunk.
Can tanken mean both the thought and the tank?
Yes! Tanken can be the definite form of either en tanke (a thought or idea) or en tank (a fuel tank or military tank). Context is key, and in this sentence, the thought or the idea is the only one that makes logical sense.
Why do we need att before försöka?
Att is the infinitive marker, functioning just like the word to in the English phrase to try. Since försöka is in its infinitive dictionary form and follows the main verb är (is), we use att to connect them: The thought is to try (Tanken är att försöka).
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