Breakdown of Det kändes som om miraklet faktiskt hände.
det
it (neuter)
hända
to happen
kännas
to feel (to have a certain feel, to seem)
faktiskt
actually (as a matter of fact, in fact)
som om
as if
miraklet
the miracle
Questions & Answers about Det kändes som om miraklet faktiskt hände.
Why is the verb hände in the past tense here?
The phrase som om (as if) sets up a hypothetical or unreal comparison. In Swedish, just like in English, we use the past tense for these hypothetical situations to show that they aren't necessarily real. In this specific sentence, it also smoothly matches the past tense of the main clause (kändes).
Why does the adverb faktiskt come before the verb hände?
This is because som om introduces a subordinate clause (bisats). In Swedish subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like faktiskt, inte, and alltid must be placed before the working verb. A helpful trick to remember this is the BIFF rule: Bisats, Inte (or other sentence adverbs) Före Finita verbet.
Why does kändes end with an -s? Is it a passive verb?
No, it is not a passive verb. Kännas is a deponent verb, meaning it always ends in an -s but has an active meaning. While känna means to actively feel something (like feeling a texture or an emotion), kännas means to give off a feeling or to seem (e.g., 'it feels cold' or 'it felt as if').
Why is 'the miracle' spelled miraklet instead of 'mirakelet'?
The root word is ett mirakel. When an ett word ends in -el, -er, or -en, it almost always drops the -e- in that final syllable before adding the definite ending -et. Therefore, mirakel becomes miraklet to make it flow better when spoken.
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