Breakdown of De riskerar livet genom att köra för fort.
de
they
köra
to drive
livet
the life
fort
fast (adverb)
för
too
genom att
by
riskera
to risk
Questions & Answers about De riskerar livet genom att köra för fort.
How does genom att köra translate to 'by driving'?
In English, you use 'by' plus an '-ing' word to show how you do something. Swedish uses the phrase genom att followed by the infinitive verb, which is köra here. You have to include att; you cannot just say genom köra.
Why does the Swedish sentence say livet (the life) instead of 'deras liv' (their lives)?
When talking about body parts, clothing, or one's life, Swedish usually uses the definite form (livet) rather than a possessive word like deras (their), as long as it is obvious whose life it is. Also, Swedish often keeps it singular because each person only has one life to risk.
Doesn't för usually mean 'for'? Why does it mean 'too' here?
The word för does mean 'for' in many contexts. However, when you put it directly in front of an adjective or adverb like fort (fast), it means 'too'. That makes för fort mean 'too fast'.
Could I say köra för snabbt instead of köra för fort?
Both fort and snabbt mean 'fast', so people would understand you. However, köra för fort is the standard, everyday expression in Swedish for 'speeding' in traffic.
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