Breakdown of Trots att kylan är hemsk, överlever de på förrådet och hoppet.
vara
to be
de
they
och
and
på
on / at / for (wait for) / in (believe in)
hemsk
terrible
trots att
although, in spite of the fact that
kylan
the cold
överleva
to survive
förrådet
the supply
hoppet
the hope
Questions & Answers about Trots att kylan är hemsk, överlever de på förrådet och hoppet.
Why does the second part of the sentence say överlever de instead of de överlever?
This is because of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The concessive subordinate clause (Trots att kylan är hemsk) counts as the very first "block" of information in the sentence. To keep the main verb in the second position, the main clause must start with that verb: överlever de.
Could I use även om instead of trots att in this sentence?
Trots att (despite that / even though) is the best choice here because it states a fact: the cold actually is terrible. Även om translates to "even if" and is traditionally used for hypothetical situations (like "even if the cold were to get terrible"). While native speakers sometimes blur this line in casual speech, it is best to keep them separate in your own writing.
Is the preposition på always used with överlever to mean surviving "on" something?
Yes! When you want to express what resources are keeping someone alive, Swedish uses överleva på exactly like the English "survive on". For example, you might say överleva på vatten och bröd (survive on water and bread).
In English, we would usually say "survive on supplies and hope". Why does Swedish use the definite forms förrådet and hoppet here?
Swedish frequently uses the definite form for abstract nouns like hoppet (the hope) when talking about a concept in its entirety, or to refer to the specific hope these people have. Using the definite form for both förrådet and hoppet shows they are relying on their specific stash of supplies and their specific will to live.
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