Breakdown of Allt var bättre förr, sa han.
vara
to be
han
he
bra
good / well
allt
everything / all (neuter)
säga
to say
förr
before, formerly
Questions & Answers about Allt var bättre förr, sa han.
The lesson is about shifting time words. If we made this indirect speech by adding 'att' (that), would förr change to a different word?
No, it stays exactly the same! Time words only shift if they are relative to the speaker's exact present moment (like changing i morgon to dagen därpå). Because förr refers to a broad, general past ('in the old days'), its meaning remains true regardless of when the reporting happens, so it doesn't need deictic shifting.
What is the difference between förr, förut, and innan? They all translate to 'before'.
Förr is used for a distant, general past, often translated as 'in the old days' or 'formerly'. Förut just means 'previously' or 'earlier', which could be five minutes ago. Innan is mostly used to say 'before something else happens', so it usually needs another event to anchor it.
Why is the word order sa han instead of han sa at the end of the sentence?
This is a classic example of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire quoted phrase (Allt var bättre förr) acts as the first element in the sentence. Therefore, the reporting verb (sa) must come immediately next, followed by the subject (han).
Could I say allting instead of allt here?
Yes, allting and allt both mean 'everything' and are grammatically interchangeable as pronouns here. However, allt var bättre förr is a very common fixed phrase (a cliché, really) for expressing nostalgia, so native speakers will almost always use allt in this specific sentence.
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