Learn Swedish: Tyvärr är mannen väldigt okänslig. - Unfortunately, the man is very insensitive.

Tyvärr är mannen väldigt okänslig.

Unfortunately, the man is very insensitive.

Breakdown of Tyvärr är mannen väldigt okänslig.

Questions & Answers about Tyvärr är mannen väldigt okänslig.

How does the prefix o- work in the word okänslig?

The prefix o- in Swedish works just like the English prefixes 'un-' or 'in-'. It creates the opposite of the base word. Since känslig means sensitive, adding the prefix makes it okänslig, meaning insensitive.

Why is the verb är placed before the subject mannen?

This is a classic example of the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule. Because the sentence starts with the adverb tyvärr (unfortunately), the verb must take the second position. That pushes the subject mannen into the third position.

Does adding the o- prefix change how the adjective agrees with the noun?

No, it works exactly the same! The adjective must still match the noun it describes. Because mannen is a singular en-word, the adjective takes the basic en-form: okänslig. If it were describing an ett-word like barnet (the child), it would become okänsligt.

Is väldigt an adjective or an adverb here?

It is an adverb here, meaning very or extremely. It modifies the adjective okänslig to make it stronger. Even though it comes from the adjective väldig (huge), adding the -t ending turns it into an adverb.