Learn Swedish: Maten var god. För övrigt var kvällen trevlig. - The food was good. Incidentally, the evening was pleasant.

Maten var god. För övrigt var kvällen trevlig.

The food was good. Incidentally, the evening was pleasant.

Breakdown of Maten var god. För övrigt var kvällen trevlig.

nice (pleasant, friendly)

Questions & Answers about Maten var god. För övrigt var kvällen trevlig.

What exactly does för övrigt mean here, and how does it differ from förresten?

Both phrases are often translated as "incidentally" or "by the way", but they have different functions. Förresten is used when you suddenly remember something or want to change the subject completely (like "By the way, did you buy milk?"). För övrigt, which is used here, adds a supplementary thought or a concluding remark that builds on what you were just talking about, similar to "as for the rest" or "besides that".

Why does the verb var come before the subject kvällen in the second sentence?

This is the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule in action. Because the sentence begins with the two-word adverbial phrase För övrigt (which counts as the first block of information), the verb var must immediately follow it. This naturally pushes the subject kvällen into the third position.

Could I say that the evening was god or that the food was trevlig?

No, Swedish is much stricter with these adjectives than English is with "good" or "nice". God is primarily used for things that taste good (or sometimes to describe a person's moral goodness). To describe an event, an experience, or a person as pleasant or enjoyable, you must use trevlig (or bra).