Learn Swedish: Om han hade tryckt på vecket, skulle det vara skarpt nu. - If he had pressed the crease, it would be sharp now.

This sentence uses a mixed conditional. The first half is an unreal condition in the past (hade tryckt, meaning "had pressed"), but the result is happening right now in the present (skulle vara, meaning "would be"). The word nu (now) at the end is a big clue that we need this mixed timeline.

Why does the verb skulle come immediately after the comma instead of the subject det?

This is a classic example of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire "if" clause (Om han hade tryckt på vecket) acts as the first block of information in the main sentence. Because the finite verb must come second, skulle flips places with the subject det.

Why is the preposition på used here instead of just saying tryckt vecket?

While trycka means "to press," using it without a preposition often implies printing (like a book) or forcefully pushing something. When you apply pressure to a specific point, like ironing a crease or pushing a button, Swedish uses trycka på.

Why does the adjective skarp get a -t at the end here?