Breakdown of Att bryta pakten var ett sådant svek.
vara
to be
ett
a, an (neuter)
att
to
sådan
such, such a (sådant, sådana)
bryta
to break
sveket
the betrayal
pakten
the pact
Questions & Answers about Att bryta pakten var ett sådant svek.
Why is it ett sådant svek rather than ett sådan svek or ett sånt svek?
Svek is an ett-word, so the word for "such" (sådan) must take the neuter form sådant. In everyday speech and informal writing, you will very often hear and see the short form sånt (ett sånt svek), but sådant is the standard formal written form.
Does the infinitive phrase Att bryta pakten count as the first position for the V2 (verb-second) rule?
Yes! The entire phrase acts as the subject of the sentence and takes up the first position. That is why the verb var comes immediately after it in the second position.
Why use Att bryta (To break) instead of a word for "breaking"?
Swedish doesn't have a direct equivalent to the English "-ing" form (gerund) used as a noun. When you want to talk about the act of doing something as the subject of a sentence, like "breaking the pact", you use att plus the infinitive verb.
What verb is the noun svek related to?
It comes from the verb att svika, which means to let someone down, disappoint, or betray. So ett svek is a betrayal or a severe letdown.
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