Breakdown of Vad är det som gör rollen svår att gestalta?
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
vad
what
göra
to do, to make
att
to
svår
difficult
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
rollen
the role
gestalta
to portray
Questions & Answers about Vad är det som gör rollen svår att gestalta?
Why use the longer phrase Vad är det som instead of simply asking Vad gör rollen svår?
Both are correct, but Vad är det som is a cleft construction (meaning it splits the sentence to add focus). Just like "What is it that..." in English, it emphasizes the question word to zero in on the specific cause. Swedish uses this structure very frequently in spoken language to make questions sound more natural and focused.
Is it possible to drop the word som in this sentence?
Why is the adjective svår rather than svårt here?
The adjective describes rollen (the role), which is an en-word. Even though it comes after the verb gör, it is an object complement (an adjective describing the direct object) and must agree with the noun it modifies. If the noun were an ett-word, like jobbet, it would be gör jobbet svårt.
What is the difference between using gestalta and just using spela for "portray" or "play"?
Spela is the standard, everyday word for playing a role or acting. Gestalta (related to the word for figure, shape, or character) is more nuanced and often used in artistic contexts. It means to truly embody, give shape to, or breathe life into a character.
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