Breakdown of Han tog en klunk mjölk eftersom det var fullkomligt outhärdligt.
vara
to be
han
he
det
it (neuter)
en
a, an (common)
ta
to take
mjölken
the milk
eftersom
since, because
outhärdlig
unbearable
fullkomligt
absolutely
klunken
the sip
Questions & Answers about Han tog en klunk mjölk eftersom det var fullkomligt outhärdligt.
Why is fullkomligt used here instead of a more common word like väldigt or mycket?
Outhärdligt (unbearable) is a non-gradable adjective, meaning it describes an absolute state rather than something that exists on a scale. You cannot use words like väldigt (very) or mycket (much) with it. Instead, you must use an absolute degree modifier like fullkomligt (absolutely) or helt (completely) to emphasize it.
Why does outhärdligt end in a -t here?
The adjective is describing det (it), which acts as an impersonal pronoun referring to the overall situation—likely how spicy or hot the food was! Because det is a neuter pronoun, the adjective must take the neuter -t ending to agree with it.
Why is there no word for "of" between en klunk and mjölk?
In Swedish, when you state a measurement, portion, or container alongside a substance, you simply place the two nouns side by side. English speakers often want to add av to translate "of", but Swedish skips it entirely, just like in en kopp kaffe (a cup of coffee) or ett glas vatten (a glass of water).
Does the noun en klunk share a root with any Swedish verbs?
Yes, it is tied to the verb att klunka, which means to chug or to drink in large gulps. As a noun, en klunk translates to a sip, swallow, or gulp of a beverage.
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