Breakdown of Att byta jobb är ett stort val, så jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge.
Questions & Answers about Att byta jobb är ett stort val, så jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge.
Yes. Att byta jobb is an infinitive clause functioning as the subject of the sentence.
- Att byta = to change (infinitive with att)
- jobb = job
- Together: att byta jobb = changing jobs / to change job(s)
So the structure is literally:
- Att byta jobb (subject)
- är (verb “is”)
- ett stort val (predicate / complement)
You could often rephrase it with a noun:
- Att byta jobb är ett stort val.
- Jobbbyte är ett stort val. (Changing jobs is a big decision.)
But the att + infinitive construction is very common and natural in Swedish as a subject.
Byta jobb is a fixed, idiomatic way of saying “change jobs” / “change one’s job” in general. The noun stays in the indefinite singular (no -et).
- byta jobb = change job(s) / change one’s job (general)
- byta jobbet = change the job (a specific, already known job)
You’d use jobbet when you mean a particular job that’s clear from context:
- Jag trivs inte, så jag funderar på att byta jobbet jag har nu.
I’m not happy, so I’m thinking about changing the job I have now.
In the original sentence, we’re talking about the general act of changing jobs, so byta jobb is correct and natural.
Both are grammatically correct, but they have slightly different nuances:
- ett stort val = a big choice
- Focuses on the act of choosing between options.
- ett stort beslut = a big decision
- Feels a bit more like a formal, weighty decision that has consequences.
In everyday Swedish, for this context, ett stort beslut or ett stort steg (“a big step”) are often more idiomatic:
- Att byta jobb är ett stort beslut.
- Att byta jobb är ett stort steg.
Ett stort val is understandable and not wrong, but ett stort beslut would usually sound more natural to most Swedes here.
In Swedish, when så connects two main clauses, a comma is very commonly used:
- Att byta jobb är ett stort val, så jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge.
- Clause 1: Att byta jobb är ett stort val
- Clause 2: jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge
This is a standard place for a comma in Swedish, even though in English you might write:
- Changing jobs is a big decision so I want to think long enough.
You could technically omit the comma in Swedish in informal writing, but many style guides recommend a comma between two independent clauses joined by så.
Here, så is a conjunction meaning “so / therefore”, introducing a consequence:
- Att byta jobb är ett stort val, så jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge.
Changing jobs is a big decision, so I want to think long enough.
It is not the “so” that intensifies adjectives/adverbs (like “so big”, “so fast”). That type would look like:
- Det är så stort. – It is so big.
- Jag är så trött. – I am so tired.
In the given sentence, så = “therefore / as a result”.
- vill = want (to) → expresses desire / intention
- ska = shall / going to → expresses plan, obligation, or scheduled future
- kommer att = will / going to → neutral future
Jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge means:
- I want to think for long enough (I want to give it enough thought).
If you said:
- Jag ska tänka tillräckligt länge.
That sounds more like a promise or plan: “I’m going to / I will think long enough.”
The original sentence is about what the speaker wants, so vill is the natural choice.
In Swedish, certain verbs are followed directly by an infinitive without att. Vill is one of them:
- Jag vill tänka. – correct
- Jag vill att tänka. – wrong
Other common verbs that work the same way:
- kan (can), måste (must), ska (shall/going to), får (may), bör (ought to)
Examples:
- Jag kan simma. – I can swim.
- Jag måste gå. – I must go.
- Jag vill plugga. – I want to study.
So jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge is the correct structure.
Tillräckligt länge literally means “sufficiently long” / “for long enough”.
- tillräcklig = sufficient
- tillräckligt = neuter form, but here used adverbially (“sufficiently / enough”)
- länge = for a long time
So:
- tillräckligt (adverb) modifies länge (adverb):
tillräckligt länge = enough time / long enough
Other patterns:
- tillräckligt mycket – enough (quantity)
- tillräckligt snabbt – sufficiently fast / fast enough
In the sentence: jag vill tänka tillräckligt länge = I want to think for a long enough time.
In Swedish, nouns are en-words or ett-words. The noun val (choice) is an ett-word:
- ett val – a choice
- valet – the choice
For adjectives with ett-words in indefinite singular, you add -t:
- ett stort val – a big choice
- ett litet hus – a small house
- ett viktigt beslut – an important decision
For en-words in indefinite singular, you usually don’t add -t:
- en stor bil – a big car
- en liten hund – a small dog
- en viktig fråga – an important question
So ett stort val is the correct agreement.
You can say att byta arbete, but there is a nuance:
jobb
- Very common in everyday speech
- A bit more informal / colloquial
- Often means a specific job/position
arbete
- Slightly more formal or general
- Can mean “work” in a broader sense (not just one job position)
In this sentence:
Att byta jobb är ett stort val…
Sounds very natural, conversational.Att byta arbete är ett stort val…
Sounds a bit more formal or written.
Both are correct; byta jobb is what you’ll hear most in daily conversation.