Breakdown of Att misslyckas borde inte störa dig.
inte
not
att
to
dig
you (singular)
störa
to disturb
böra
should, ought to
misslyckas
to fail
Questions & Answers about Att misslyckas borde inte störa dig.
"Att" and "misslyckas" are two words. Doesn't putting both before the verb "borde" break the V2 (verb-second) rule?
No, because the V2 rule is about positions in the sentence, not individual words. The entire infinitive phrase Att misslyckas (To fail) acts as the subject of the sentence. It fills that entire first position as a single block, allowing the conjugated verb borde to stay perfectly in the second position.
Why does the verb misslyckas end in an -s? Is it passive?
It is not passive. Misslyckas is a "deponent" verb. These are verbs that always end in -s but have a completely active meaning. Other common examples you might remember from earlier lessons are hoppas (to hope) and minnas (to remember).
Why does inte come between the two verbs here (borde inte störa) instead of before them?
In a Swedish main clause, the rule is that the sentence adverb (like inte) must come immediately after the first conjugated verb. Since borde is the conjugated auxiliary verb, inte has to follow it, pushing the second verb (störa, which is in its infinitive form) further back in the sentence.
Borde looks like a past tense verb because of the -de ending. Is it?
It has the form of a past tense verb (from the rare infinitive böra), but it functions like the English word "should" or "ought to". You use borde to give advice or express what is right in the present or future, not the past.
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