Word
Vi måste låta bli att lämna fönstret öppet.
Meaning
We must refrain from leaving the window open.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Vi måste låta bli att lämna fönstret öppet.
vi
we
att
to
måste
to have to, must
fönstret
the window
Questions & Answers about Vi måste låta bli att lämna fönstret öppet.
Why is the adjective öppet instead of öppen or öppent?
The base form of the adjective for "open" is öppen, which ends in an unstressed -en. Because it describes the neuter noun fönstret (the window), we need the neuter form. For adjectives ending in an unstressed -en, you do not just add a -t. Instead, you drop the -en and replace it entirely with -et, resulting in öppet.
What does låta bli mean in this sentence?
Låta bli is a common expression meaning "refrain from," "stop," or "leave alone" (literally "let be"). When you use it to say you are refraining from an action, you follow it with att and the infinitive verb, like låta bli att lämna (refrain from leaving).
Why is there an att before lämna but not before låta?
Måste (must) is a modal verb, and modal verbs are followed directly by the bare infinitive without att (hence måste låta). However, låta bli acts as a standard verb phrase here. To connect it to the next action, you need the infinitive marker att, making it låta bli att lämna.
Since fönstret is in its definite form ("the window"), shouldn't the adjective also take the definite ending ()?