Breakdown of De säger att kunskap är makt.
vara
to be
de
they
säga
to say
att
that
makten
the power
kunskapen
the knowledge
Questions & Answers about De säger att kunskap är makt.
Why aren't we using the definite forms kunskapen and makten here?
Because this is a general statement about abstract concepts. In Swedish, abstract nouns like kunskap (knowledge) and makt (power) take the zero article (no article at all) when talking about them in a broad, general sense. This works exactly the same as in English!
Who does De refer to in this context?
It is an impersonal de, meaning "people in general" or "society." The phrase de säger att is the exact equivalent of the English expression "they say that."
Is kunskap related to the verb att kunna?
What happens to the word order if I want to say "They say that knowledge is NOT power"?
You would say De säger att kunskap inte är makt. Because att introduces a subordinate clause, any sentence adverb like inte must come right before the verb, rather than after it.
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