Breakdown of Busiga pojkar är ofta trotsiga, medan barnet bara är slött.
vara
to be
barnet
the child
ofta
often
pojken
the boy
bara
only, just
medan
while
slö
blunt, dull / lethargic, sluggish
busig
mischievous
trotsig
defiant
Questions & Answers about Busiga pojkar är ofta trotsiga, medan barnet bara är slött.
Why does the sentence use slött instead of a neuter form of lat (lazy)?
Lat is a defective adjective, meaning it lacks a widely accepted neuter singular form. Native speakers generally avoid saying latt. Instead, when describing an ett word like barnet, you must use a synonym that does have a neuter form, such as slött (from slö, meaning lethargic or lazy), or rephrase the sentence entirely.
Why does the adverb bara come before the verb är in the second half of the sentence?
The word medan (whereas) introduces a subordinate clause. In Swedish subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like bara, inte, or ofta must be placed before the finite (first) verb. This is a great refresher of the BIFF rule: I Bisats Före Finit verb (In a subordinate clause, before the finite verb).
Can slö mean anything other than lazy or lethargic?
Yes, slö is also commonly used to describe a knife or blade that is dull or blunt (for example, en slö kniv). When applied to people or animals, it means lacking energy, lethargic, or lazy.
Is medan only used for contrasting two things like 'whereas' in this sentence?
No, medan can mean both 'while' (two things happening at the exact same time) and 'whereas' (contrasting two situations). Here it clearly serves to contrast the boys' active defiance with the child's passive lethargy.
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