Breakdown of Fyrvaktaren trivdes bra, då isoleringen gav honom lugn och ro.
bra
good / well
honom
him
ge
to give
trivas
to thrive
lugn och ro
peace and quiet
då
since, because
fyrvaktaren
the lighthouse keeper
isoleringen
the isolation
Questions & Answers about Fyrvaktaren trivdes bra, då isoleringen gav honom lugn och ro.
How does då work here, and is it different from eftersom?
In this sentence, då acts as a subordinating conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because', introducing a subordinate clause. It means exactly the same thing as eftersom, but då can sound slightly more formal or literary. Remember that since it introduces a subordinate clause, any clausal adverb like inte would come before the verb (for example, då isoleringen inte gav honom...).
Why do we say trivdes bra instead of just trivdes?
While in English you can simply say someone 'thrived' or 'enjoyed themselves', the Swedish verb trivas usually expects an adverb like bra (well) or dåligt (poorly) to complete the thought. Saying Fyrvaktaren trivdes on its own would sound a bit abrupt and incomplete to a Swedish ear.
Does the -s on trivdes mean this is a passive sentence?
No, trivas is a deponent verb. These are verbs that always end in -s in all their forms but have an active meaning. The past tense of trivas is trivdes. Other common deponent verbs you likely already know are hoppas (to hope) and minnas (to remember).
Is lugn och ro a fixed phrase?
Yes, it is the standard Swedish equivalent to the English idiom 'peace and quiet'. The word lugn means 'calm' or 'peace', and ro means 'rest' or 'tranquility'. Just like in English, the order of these two words is fixed.
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