Breakdown of Vad märkligt att förbannelsen påstås sluka hela familjen!
familjen
the family
hel
whole
att
that
märklig
strange (peculiar, remarkable)
vad
how (in exclamations)
påstås
to be claimed
sluka
to devour
förbannelsen
the curse
Questions & Answers about Vad märkligt att förbannelsen påstås sluka hela familjen!
Why is there no "att" before "sluka"?
The verb påstås (is claimed) is a passive reporting verb. In Swedish, these verbs (along with others like sägs and anses) take a bare infinitive. So instead of using the infinitive marker att, you just attach sluka directly, making it påstås sluka (is claimed to devour).
Why does the sentence start with "Vad märkligt" instead of "Hur märkligt"?
When making an exclamation that translates to "How [adjective]!" in English, Swedish uses vad rather than hur. The word hur is generally used for actual questions about manner or degree. That is why "How strange!" is translated as Vad märkligt! here.
How is the passive verb "påstås" formed from its active counterpart?
The active present tense of this verb is påstår (claims). To form the s-passive, you drop the present tense -r and add an -s, resulting in påstås (is claimed).
Why does the adjective "hel" take an "-a" in "hela familjen"?
When using the adjectives hel (whole) or halv (half) with a definite noun like familjen, the adjective must take the definite -a ending. This is why it becomes hela familjen instead of just hel familjen.
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