Word
Det gäller att vara stensäker på scenen.
Meaning
It is crucial to be completely sure on the stage.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Det gäller att vara stensäker på scenen.
vara
to be
att
to
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
scenen
the stage
Questions & Answers about Det gäller att vara stensäker på scenen.
How does the prefix sten- change the meaning of säker in this sentence?
The prefix sten- literally means "stone", but here it acts as a strong intensifier. Attached to säker (sure or certain), it creates stensäker, meaning absolutely, one-hundred-percent sure. It functions much like saying "rock solid" in English.
Can I attach sten- to any adjective to mean "completely", such as saying stenbra?
No, unlike jätte- which works with almost anything, sten- only pairs naturally with specific adjectives. It is mostly used in established combinations like stensäker (completely sure), stenhård (rock hard), stendöd (stone dead), and stenrik (filthy rich).
Why is Det gäller att translated as "It is crucial to"?
While the verb gäller normally means "applies" or "is valid", the fixed phrase Det gäller att... is a very common idiom. It means "The important thing is to...", "It is a matter of...", or "You have to...". You will hear this constantly in Swedish when someone wants to emphasize that a specific action is necessary for success.
Why is the definite form scenen used instead of just på scen?