"Even If" with Även om
When you want to describe pressing on despite a hurdle, you can use a concessive clause. To say "even if," Swedish uses the phrase även om. This is often used when the outcome remains the same regardless of the condition.
| The expedition continues forward, even if the storm is terrible. | Expeditionen fortsätter framåt, även om stormen är hemsk. |
| We refuse to give up, even if the expedition cannot survive. | Vi vägrar att ge upp, även om expeditionen inte kan överleva. |
"Even Though" with Trots att
To express "even though" or "despite the fact that," use trots att. While även om focuses on a condition, trots att points to a factual, undeniable contrast.
| It is possible to survive, even though the ice is dangerous. | Det går att överleva, trots att isen är farlig. |
| The polar bear that follows us is hungry, even though it ate yesterday. | Isbjörnen som följer oss är hungrig, trots att den åt igår. |
Starting with the Subordinate Clause
You can place the även om or trots att clause at the very beginning of the sentence to emphasize the extreme conditions.
When you do this, remember the strict Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire subordinate clause counts as the first block of information, meaning the verb of your main clause must come immediately after the comma.
| Even though the ice is dangerous, we hike in the cold. | Trots att isen är farlig vandrar vi i kylan. |
Notice how the verb vandrar comes right before the subject vi.
| Even if the polar bear is hungry, we must pull the sled. | Även om isbjörnen är hungrig måste vi dra kälken. |
| Even if we are freezing, we continue forward. | Även om vi fryser fortsätter vi framåt. |
