Breakdown of Det är ett svårt dilemma, men du borde inte ignorera det psykiska.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
du
you (singular)
inte
not
svår
difficult
men
but
det
the (with ett-words)
böra
should, ought to
ignorera
to ignore
dilemmat
the dilemma
psykisk
mental (psychological)
Questions & Answers about Det är ett svårt dilemma, men du borde inte ignorera det psykiska.
How does det psykiska translate to 'the mental part' when there is no word for 'part' in the Swedish sentence?
This is an example of substantivation, where an adjective acts as a noun to represent an abstract concept. By combining the neuter definite article det with the definite adjective form psykiska (which ends in -a), Swedish creates a phrase meaning 'the psychological aspect' or 'that which is mental' without needing to add an extra noun.
Could I say den psykiska delen instead of det psykiska?
Yes, den psykiska delen (the mental part) is grammatically correct and means the same thing. However, using det psykiska as a standalone abstract concept is a very natural and elegant way that native Swedish speakers express these broad categories.
Why does the adjective svårt have a -t at the end?
The noun dilemma is an ett-word in Swedish (ett dilemma). Because the phrase is indefinite ('a difficult dilemma'), the adjective svår must take the neuter agreement ending -t to become svårt.
Why use borde here instead of ska for 'should'?
borde is used to give advice or a recommendation, translating to 'ought to' or 'should'. If you used ska, it would sound much stronger and more rigid, like a command or a definitive future statement ('you shall not ignore').
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