Questions & Answers about Verktyget är slött, men det fungerar.
Why does slött have a double t at the end instead of just one?
The adjective slött describes verktyget, which is an ett word (neuter). Normally, you just add -t to an adjective for ett words. However, the root word here is slö. Because it ends in a stressed vowel, we must add -tt. This is a spelling rule that also changes the pronunciation, making the ö sound short rather than long.
I've seen slö used to mean "lazy". Does it mean both "blunt" and "lazy"?
Yes! When describing objects that are supposed to be sharp, like a knife or a tool (verktyg), slö means "blunt" or "dull". When describing people or animals, it means "lazy", "sluggish", or "lethargic".
Why is the pronoun det used in the second half of the sentence instead of den?
The pronoun det refers back to the noun it replaces: verktyget. Since ett verktyg is a neuter noun (an ett word), its corresponding pronoun must also be neuter. If the noun had been an en word like kniven (the knife), you would use den instead.
Can I use arbetar instead of fungerar to say the tool "works"?