Breakdown of Hon nöjde sig med ett kort svar.
ett
a, an (neuter)
hon
she
svaret
the answer
kort
short
nöja sig med
to be satisfied with, to make do with
Questions & Answers about Hon nöjde sig med ett kort svar.
Why use the reflexive nöjde sig instead of var nöjd?
While both can mean "was satisfied", they carry slightly different nuances. Att nöja sig med emphasizes an active choice, usually translating better to "to settle for" or "to content oneself with". Att vara nöjd simply describes the passive state of being pleased or happy. In this sentence, she actively accepted the short answer.
What happens if I forget the word sig here?
The sentence would become grammatically incorrect. The verb att nöja sig is strictly reflexive, meaning it must always be paired with a reflexive pronoun (mig, dig, sig, etc.) that matches the subject. You cannot say hon nöjde med ett kort svar.
Since svar is an ett-word, shouldn't the adjective kort get an extra -t at the end?
Normally, adjectives get a -t suffix when modifying an ett-word. However, if the base form of the adjective already ends in a consonant followed by a -t (like kort, svart, or brant), Swedish spelling rules dictate that we do not add another one. Therefore, it remains ett kort svar.
Does the preposition med always follow nöja sig?
Yes, whenever you specify what someone is settling for or satisfied with, you use the preposition med. If the context is already clear, you can drop the preposition and the object entirely, and just say hon nöjde sig (she was satisfied / she settled).
Learn Hon nöjde sig med ett kort svar and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free