Breakdown of Mannen håller på att bestämma sig för om han är beredd att chansa.
vara
to be
han
he
mannen
the man
att
to
för
for, to
om
if, whether
hålla på att
to be doing (progressive)
bestämma sig
to make up one's mind
beredd
prepared
chansa
take a chance
Questions & Answers about Mannen håller på att bestämma sig för om han är beredd att chansa.
Why is the preposition för placed right before om?
The verb phrase here is bestämma sig för (to decide on or make up one's mind about). In Swedish, when a verb phrase includes a preposition, you usually keep that preposition even when it is followed by an indirect question starting with om (whether). English usually drops the preposition and just says 'decide whether', but Swedish requires the för.
Why do we need the reflexive pronoun sig after bestämma?
In Swedish, bestämma sig is a reflexive verb used when you make up your own mind or make a personal choice. If you use bestämma without sig, it instead means to determine an external fact, like setting a rule or scheduling a meeting.
Does håller på att mean he is physically holding something?
No, håller på att followed by a verb in the infinitive is a common way to show that an action is currently ongoing. It acts much like the continuous '-ing' form in English. In this sentence, it emphasizes that he is actively in the middle of the process of deciding right now.
How does the verb chansa work?
chansa is a verb formed from the noun chans (chance). Swedish often creates verbs from borrowed nouns simply by adding an -a to the end. It neatly translates the whole English phrase 'to take a chance' or 'to risk it' into a single Swedish word.
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