Breakdown of Hur svårt det än verkar, kan du lära dig att forma glasmassan.
du
you (singular)
hur
how
att
to
kunna
to be able to, can
svår
difficult
lära sig
to learn
det
there (dummy subject)
verka
to seem, to appear
än
ever (concessive particle)
glasmassan
the glass mass
forma
to shape
Questions & Answers about Hur svårt det än verkar, kan du lära dig att forma glasmassan.
How does the structure hur svårt det än verkar translate to "no matter how difficult it seems"?
The pattern hur + adjective or adverb + subject + än + verb creates a concessive clause. Here, the word än does not mean "than" or "still"; when paired with hur, it forms the equivalent of the English "no matter how" or "however".
Why is the word order kan du instead of du kan in the second half of the sentence?
This is the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire introductory clause (Hur svårt det än verkar) counts as the first block of information. Therefore, the main verb (kan) must come right after the comma to take the second position, pushing the subject (du) to the third spot.
Why do we need the word dig after lära?
The verb for acquiring a skill is the reflexive lära sig (to learn). Since the subject is du, the reflexive pronoun must match it, becoming dig. If you leave out the reflexive pronoun, the verb lära instead means "to teach".
Why does the adjective svårt end in a -t?
It is describing the dummy pronoun det, which refers to the abstract idea of the task being difficult. Because det is a neuter pronoun, the adjective must take the matching neuter -t ending.
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