Breakdown of Är boken inte fängslande? Jo, och det är filmen också!
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
och
and
boken
the book
inte
not
också
also
filmen
the film
jo
yes (in response to a negative)
fängslande
captivating
Questions & Answers about Är boken inte fängslande? Jo, och det är filmen också!
Why is there a det in och det är filmen också?
In Swedish, when you leave out a descriptive word that was just mentioned (like fängslande), you must replace it with det. This is called a pro-predicative. While in English you can just drop the adjective and say 'the film is too', Swedish requires this placeholder. It translates literally to 'and that is the film too'.
Why is the word order det är filmen instead of filmen är det?
You can actually say och filmen är det också, which follows normal subject-verb order. However, pulling the placeholder det to the front is very common because it immediately links back to the previous thought. When det takes the first position, the V2 rule pushes the subject filmen after the verb är.
Why does the speaker answer with jo instead of ja?
Because the first question contains the negative word inte. In Swedish, whenever you answer affirmatively to contradict a negative question or statement, you must use jo instead of ja.
Why does fängslande end in -ande?
It is the present participle form of the verb fängsla (to captivate or enthrall), functioning here as an adjective. Words ending in -ande or -ende are similar to '-ing' words in English. For a B2 learner, these are fantastic because they never change their endings to match gender or plural nouns.
Learn Är boken inte fängslande? Jo, och det är filmen också and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free