Breakdown of Repet är för kort för att nå marken.
vara
to be
att
to
för
for, to
kort
short
nå
to reach
marken
the ground
repet
the rope
Questions & Answers about Repet är för kort för att nå marken.
Why is för used twice here, and do both instances mean the same thing?
No, they have different meanings. This sentence uses a specific construction to say something is "too... to...". The first för means "too" (för kort = too short). The second för is part of the phrase för att, which means "in order to" or simply "to" in this context.
Could I just say att nå instead of för att nå?
No, that is a common trap for English speakers! While English just says "too short to reach", Swedish requires för att (literally "for to" or "in order to") to express the result or purpose in this "too much" construction. You cannot drop the för.
If repet (the rope) is an ett-word, why doesn't the adjective kort have an extra -t added to the end?
Normally, adjectives get a -t ending when describing an ett-word. However, adjectives that already end in a consonant plus -t (like kort, svart, or brant) do not get an extra -t in the neuter form. It just stays kort.
Does marken mean "the ground" both indoors and outdoors?
No, marken specifically refers to the ground outside, like earth or outdoor terrain. If this rope were hanging inside a building, you would say it is too short to reach the floor, which is golvet.
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