Breakdown of De stängde ridån eftersom framträdandet var bedrövligt.
vara
to be
de
they
stänga
to close
eftersom
since, because
framträdandet
the performance (stage, show)
bedrövlig
appalling
ridån
the curtain (theater)
Questions & Answers about De stängde ridån eftersom framträdandet var bedrövligt.
Why use ridån here instead of gardinen for "the curtain"?
Ridå specifically means a theater or stage curtain. A gardin is a regular window curtain you would have at home.
How is the noun framträdandet built?
It comes from the verb framträda (to step forward or perform). Adding -ande turns it into a neuter noun (ett framträdande), and the final -t makes it definite (framträdandet, meaning "the performance").
Why does bedrövligt end with a -t?
It is an adjective describing framträdandet, which is a neuter (ett) word. Therefore, the base adjective bedrövlig (appalling or miserable) gets the neuter -t ending to match.
How would I apply this lesson's topic to say "They didn't even close the curtain"?
You would say De stängde inte ens ridån. Because this is a main clause, the negative focus particle inte ens is placed immediately after the finite verb stängde.
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