Word
Den där gamla myten är sannerligen intressant.
Meaning
That old myth is indeed interesting.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Den där gamla myten är sannerligen intressant.
vara
to be
gammal
old
den där
that (en)
intressant
interesting
Questions & Answers about Den där gamla myten är sannerligen intressant.
How does the suffix -ligen work in the word sannerligen?
The word sannerligen (indeed or truly) is a sentence adverb derived from the adjective sann (true). By adding the suffix -erligen (a variant of -ligen used for smoother pronunciation with certain roots), the adjective is transformed into an adverb. This process is very similar to how adding '-ly' turns an adjective into an adverb in English.
Why is the noun in the definite form (myten) after den där?
This is a classic example of the Swedish 'double definite' rule. When you use demonstrative pointing words like den där (that) or den här (this), the noun that follows must also take its definite suffix (myten). Swedish effectively says 'that the myth' rather than just 'that myth'.
Why does gamla have an -a ending while intressant does not, even though they both describe the same myth?
Because gamla comes directly between the demonstrative den där and the noun, it acts as an attributive adjective and must take the definite ending -a. However, intressant is a predicative adjective, meaning it comes after the verb är. Since it describes a singular en-word (en myt), it stays in its basic, uninflected dictionary form.
Could I just use verkligen instead of sannerligen in this sentence?