Breakdown of Vattnet i isvaken var isande kallt.
vara
to be
kall
cold
vattnet
the water
i
in
isvaken
the ice hole
isande
freezing
Questions & Answers about Vattnet i isvaken var isande kallt.
Why do we use the present participle isande here instead of a standard adverb like väldigt?
In Swedish, present participles ending in -ande or -ende can act as vivid, intensifying degree adverbs to modify adjectives. While väldigt kallt just means very cold, isande kallt specifically means freezing cold or chillingly cold. It adds a much more descriptive flavor.
Does isande need to change its form to match the neuter noun vattnet?
No, present participles ending in -ande or -ende are invariable. They never change their endings to agree with gender or number, whether they are used as adjectives or, as in this case, as intensifying adverbs.
Why is the adjective kallt in its neuter form if isvaken is an en-word?
The adjective kallt is describing the main subject of the sentence, vattnet (the water), which is a neuter ett-word. It is not describing isvaken (the ice hole). Therefore, it takes the neuter -t ending to match the subject.
What exactly is an isvak?
It is a compound of is (ice) and vak (a hole cut or broken into ice). Swedes frequently use an isvak for winter swimming or ice fishing.
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