Breakdown of Nu gäller det att lösa gåtan tillsammans.
tillsammans
together
nu
now
att
to
det
there (dummy subject)
Questions & Answers about Nu gäller det att lösa gåtan tillsammans.
How does gäller mean "is crucial" here when it usually means "applies" or "is valid"?
The phrase det gäller att is a specific impersonal idiom. While gäller alone often means "to be valid" or "to apply" (like a ticket or a rule), combining it with det and an att-clause means "it is crucial to," "it is a matter of," or "what counts is." It stresses that the action following att is the most important thing right now.
Could I just say Nu måste vi lösa gåtan? What is the difference in nuance?
Yes, you could, but the feeling changes slightly. Using måste vi ("we must") makes it a direct, personal obligation. The construction det gäller att is impersonal and objective, translating closer to "the crucial thing right now is to..." It often sounds a bit more dramatic, focusing on the urgency of the task rather than the people forced to do it.
Why is the word order Nu gäller det instead of Nu det gäller?
Can Nu gäller det! be used on its own without the att clause?