Breakdown of Spännet på bältet är helt trasigt.
vara
to be
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
trasig
broken
helt
completely
bältet
the seatbelt / the belt (worn around the waist)
spännet
the buckle
Questions & Answers about Spännet på bältet är helt trasigt.
Why do we say Spännet på bältet instead of using the s-genitive like bältets spänne?
In Swedish, when one inanimate (non-living) object is a physical part of another, it is usually much more natural to use the preposition på rather than the possessive s. When using this structure, notice that both the part (spännet) and the whole (bältet) are put in their definite forms.
Why is the adjective trasigt spelled with a -t at the end?
Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe. The main subject of the sentence is spännet, which comes from the neuter ett-word ett spänne. Because it is a neuter noun, the adjective trasig takes the neuter -t ending to become trasigt.
Does helt also have a -t because spännet is an ett-word?
No, the -t on helt is there for a different reason. Here, helt is acting as an adverb modifying the adjective trasigt, translating to "completely" broken. In Swedish, adverbs formed from adjectives get the -t ending, regardless of the gender of the noun in the sentence.
Could I use brutet instead of trasigt to mean "broken" here?
No, trasig and bruten are used differently. Trasig is the standard word for things that are out of order, mechanically broken, or torn (like a buckle, an engine, or a shirt). Bruten (from the verb att bryta, to break) is used for things that have physically snapped in two or fractured, like a branch, a bone, or a promise.
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