Expressing "Unless" with såvida inte
To state that something will happen (or go wrong) unless a specific condition is met, Swedish uses the subordinating conjunction såvida together with a negative word, usually inte.
Literally, såvida means "provided that" or "if." By adding inte, the phrase såvida inte takes on the meaning of "unless" (literally "provided that... not").
| The photo gets blurry unless one changes the setting. | Fotot blir suddigt såvida man inte ändrar inställningen. |
| The tripod is often used unless one has a lot of light. | Stativet används ofta såvida man inte har mycket ljus. |
| One cannot change the lens unless one turns off the camera. | Man kan inte byta objektivet såvida man inte stänger av kameran. |
Word Order in the Subordinate Clause
Because såvida introduces a subordinate clause, it follows standard subordinate clause word order. The most important rule to remember here is the placement of the negation. Just like with other subordinate clauses, a sentence adverb like inte (or a combination like inte alltid) must be placed directly before the conjugated verb.
| The picture gets out of focus unless the tripod is used. | Bilden blir oskarp såvida stativet inte används. |
| The exposure is ruined unless one closes the aperture. | Exponeringen förstörs såvida man inte stänger bländaren. |
| The picture gets noisy unless one always cleans the sensor. | Bilden blir brusig såvida man inte alltid rengör sensorn. |
Starting with the Condition
You can also place the såvida clause at the very beginning of the sentence to emphasize the restriction. When you do this, you must apply the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire subordinate clause counts as the first "block" of information, so the main clause that follows it must start immediately with its verb.
| Unless the shutter is fast, the photo gets out of focus. | Såvida slutaren inte är snabb, blir fotot oskarpt. |
| Unless the shutter setting is right, one misses the picture. | Såvida inställningen för slutaren inte är rätt, missar man bilden. |