Breakdown of Den som är utåtriktad väljer vi.
vara
to be
vi
we
välja
to choose
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
Questions & Answers about Den som är utåtriktad väljer vi.
Why use Den som instead of Det som or De som?
In Swedish, den som is used for a singular person or a common-gender noun ('the one who'). If you were talking about a plural group ('those who'), you would use de som. If you were talking about an abstract concept or an ett-word ('that which' or 'what'), you would use det som.
Why is the word order väljer vi and not vi väljer?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule in action! The entire free relative clause Den som är utåtriktad acts as the object of the sentence and takes up the first position. Because the verb must come second, väljer comes right after it, followed by the subject vi.
Why doesn't the adjective utåtriktad have an ending like -t or -a?
The adjective must agree with the pronoun it describes. Here, it refers back to Den, which represents a singular, common-gender person. If the sentence was plural (De som), the adjective would need an -a ending (utåtriktade).
Can Den som also mean 'Whoever'?
Yes! While it translates literally as 'The one who', den som is the most natural and common way to say 'whoever' in Swedish when referring to people.