Questions & Answers about Vi slösar mindre med maten och tar vara på matresterna.
Why is it slösar med maten? What does slösa med mean?
Slösa med is a common Swedish verb + preposition combination meaning to waste or to use carelessly.
So:
- slösa med pengar = waste money
- slösa med tid = waste time
- slösa med maten = waste food
English often says waste food directly, but Swedish very often uses slösa med + the thing being wasted.
A related pattern is slösa bort, which also means waste away something:
- slösa bort pengar = waste money
Both exist, but in this sentence slösa med maten is the natural choice.
Why is it mindre and not färre?
Because mat is usually treated as an uncountable noun, like food in English.
In Swedish:
- mindre = less
- färre = fewer
So you say:
- mindre mat = less food
- färre äpplen = fewer apples
In the sentence, Vi slösar mindre med maten means We waste less food or more literally We waste less with the food.
Why is it maten and not just ?