Breakdown of Hindret låter sig inte ignoreras.
inte
not
sig
oneself / himself / herself / themselves
låta
to let, allow
ignorera
to ignore
hindret
the obstacle
Questions & Answers about Hindret låter sig inte ignoreras.
What does låter sig literally mean in this sentence?
The phrase låter sig literally translates to 'allows itself'. Combined with a negative like inte, låter sig inte means that something 'does not allow itself' to be done. In natural English, this construction is used to express that something 'cannot be' done.
Why does the verb ignoreras end in an -s if låter sig already sets up the passive meaning?
The -s ending makes ignoreras a passive infinitive ('to be ignored'). With the låta sig construction, Swedish allows you to use either the active infinitive (ignorera) or the passive infinitive (ignoreras). Using the passive -s form, as seen in this sentence, is very common in modern Swedish to strongly emphasize the passive nature of the action.
Why is the negation inte placed after sig?
In a main clause, sentence adverbs like inte are placed after the conjugated verb (låter) and any object pronouns. Since sig is a reflexive pronoun acting as the object here, it stays tightly attached to the verb, so inte must be placed after it.
What is the root word for hindret and why is it spelled without an extra e?
The root word is the neuter noun ett hinder (an obstacle). When adding the definite suffix -et to make it 'the obstacle', the final -e in the noun's stem drops out to make pronunciation smoother. That is why it becomes hindret rather than 'hinderet'.
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