Breakdown of Timglaset är klurigt, men det gäller att förstå det.
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
att
to
förstå
to understand
men
but
det gäller att
to be crucial, to matter
timglaset
the hourglass
klurig
tricky
Questions & Answers about Timglaset är klurigt, men det gäller att förstå det.
How does det gäller att differ from just using man måste?
While man måste simply states a general obligation ('one must' or 'you have to'), det gäller att highlights what is crucial for success in a specific situation. It translates closer to 'the key is to...', 'it comes down to...', or 'it is a matter of...'.
What is the exact nuance of klurigt, and is it different from svårt?
Yes, there is a nuance. While svårt just means 'difficult' or 'hard', klurigt means 'tricky', 'clever', or 'cunning'. It is often used for things that require some brainpower or problem-solving to figure out, like a puzzle, a riddle, or a complex mechanism.
Why does klurigt end with a -t here?
The adjective needs to agree with the noun it describes. Timglas (hourglass) is an ett word, which you can see from its definite ending in timglaset. Because the subject is an ett word, the base adjective klurig must take the neuter -t ending to become klurigt.
Why does the sentence end with det instead of den?
The final det refers back to the hourglass (timglaset). Because timglas is an ett word, you must use the neuter pronoun det to say 'it'. If you were referring back to an en word, like a standard clock (en klocka), you would end the sentence with den.
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