Breakdown of Nu måste det dukas snabbt, eftersom det är ännu mer bråttom!
vara
to be
snabb
fast
nu
now
måste
to have to, must
ännu
yet / even (with comparative)
eftersom
since, because
mer
more
det
there (dummy subject)
duka
to set the table
bråttom
in a hurry
Questions & Answers about Nu måste det dukas snabbt, eftersom det är ännu mer bråttom!
Why do we use det dukas here instead of explicitly saying 'the tables' must be set?
This is the presentational det combined with an s-passive verb. By using det dukas (literally 'it is set' or 'there is setting'), the sentence focuses entirely on the action that urgently needs to happen, rather than who is doing it or explicitly naming 'the tables'. It is a very natural Swedish way to express that a general action must take place.
Since dukas ends in -s, is it in the present tense here?
Actually, it is the passive infinitive! Because it follows the modal verb måste (must), the main verb must be in the infinitive form. For Group 1 verbs like duka (to set the table), the passive present and the passive infinitive look exactly identical: dukas.
Why is the word order Nu måste det instead of Nu det måste?
How does the phrase det är bråttom work? Is bråttom a noun?
bråttom (hurry/urgent) is an adjective, but it is used in specific set phrases with either vara (to be) or ha (to have). You say jag har bråttom for 'I am in a hurry', but to make a general statement about a situation like in this sentence, you use det är bråttom ('it is urgent' or 'there is a hurry').
What is the exact role of ännu in ännu mer bråttom?
When placed directly before a comparative word like mer (more) or större (bigger), ännu translates to 'even'. Therefore, ännu mer bråttom perfectly translates to 'even more of a hurry'.
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