Breakdown of Det är bara själva tricket som är svårt, inte landningen.
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
inte
not
svår
difficult
Questions & Answers about Det är bara själva tricket som är svårt, inte landningen.
Why do we use själva here instead of självt, and why is tricket in the definite form?
The word själva is an invariable determiner meaning "the actual" or the noun "itself" when placed directly before a noun. When used this way, it requires the noun to be in the definite form, which is why we say själva tricket. If you used självt to match the neuter noun, it would mean "by itself" or "alone" and would typically appear after the noun.
Why do we need the word som in this sentence?
This is a cleft sentence, a structure used to emphasize a specific piece of information. By phrasing it as Det är bara själva tricket... (It is only the trick itself...), you need the relative pronoun som (that) to connect the emphasized subject to the verb är, mirroring the English structure "It is X that is Y."
Why is the adjective svårt in the t-form?
The adjective svårt describes tricket, which is a neuter noun (ett trick). Even though they are separated by the relative clause structure som är, the adjective must still agree in gender with the noun it modifies.
Could I say "inte själva landningen" at the end of the sentence?
Yes, you absolutely could. The word själva only applies to the noun it immediately precedes. The speaker leaves it out before landningen because the contrast is already clear, but adding it would create the meaning "not the actual landing."