Breakdown of Recensionen tycks vara helt ytlig.
vara
to be
recensionen
the review
helt
completely
tyckas
to seem
ytlig
superficial
Questions & Answers about Recensionen tycks vara helt ytlig.
Why is there no att before vara in this sentence?
The verb tyckas (to seem) acts as a semi-modal verb here. Just like true modal verbs such as kan or måste, both tyckas and verka can take a bare infinitive directly after them, dropping the infinitive marker att.
How is tycks different from tycker?
While tycker means to hold an opinion (to think or consider), adding the -s turns it into tyckas, which means to seem or to appear. It is a deponent verb, meaning it looks passive because of the -s ending, but it functions with an active meaning.
Why does helt end in a -t when recensionen is an en-word?
In this sentence, helt is an adverb meaning completely that modifies the adjective ytlig. When you turn an adjective into an adverb in Swedish, it always takes the neuter -t ending, regardless of the gender of the noun in the sentence. If it were an adjective describing the noun directly, you would say en hel recension (a whole review).
What is the root of the adjective ytlig?
It comes from the noun en yta, which means a surface. By adding the common adjective suffix -lig, it becomes surface-like, which translates perfectly to superficial or shallow in English.
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