Breakdown of Talangjakten var ett fiasko från början.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
från början
from the beginning
talangjakten
the talent show
Questions & Answers about Talangjakten var ett fiasko från början.
Why is a talent show called talangjakten in Swedish?
It is a compound of talang (talent) and jakt (hunt), with the definite suffix -en added at the end. In Swedish, talent shows and similar competitions are commonly referred to as "talent hunts".
If I wanted to say "Not even the talent show was a fiasco", where would I put inte ens?
You would place it right at the beginning, before the noun it modifies: Inte ens talangjakten var ett fiasko från början. When inte ens focuses on the subject, the entire phrase [Inte ens talangjakten] counts as the first block for the V2 (verb-second) rule, so the verb var immediately follows.
How would the sentence change if I meant "The talent show wasn't even a fiasco from the start"?
In this case, inte ens modifies the rest of the sentence rather than the subject. It acts like a standard sentence adverb, which means it goes immediately after the first verb in a main clause: Talangjakten var inte ens ett fiasko från början.
Is från början the only way to say "from the start"? Can I use från starten?
Från början is the most natural and idiomatic way to say "from the beginning" or "from the start" for situations, stories, or events. While starten exists in Swedish, it is generally reserved for literal races or the physical starting point of a machine or vehicle.