Breakdown of Vi kan inte nöja oss med det här resultatet.
vi
we
inte
not
kunna
to be able to, can
det här
this (ett)
med
with
resultatet
the result
nöja sig
to content oneself
Questions & Answers about Vi kan inte nöja oss med det här resultatet.
Why is the reflexive pronoun oss used here instead of a normal object?
The verb nöja sig is a reflexive verb that describes adopting a certain mindset or emotional state, literally meaning to content oneself. Because the subject of the sentence is Vi, the reflexive pronoun must match it, making it nöja oss.
The English translation says settle for, so why does the Swedish sentence use med?
The phrasal structure in Swedish is always nöja sig med something. Even though we say settle for in English, the Swedish phrasing is closer to the literal translation content oneself with. Using för here would be grammatically incorrect.
Why does resultatet have a definite ending when the sentence already uses the pointing phrase det här?
This is a reminder of the Swedish double definite rule. When you use a demonstrative like det här (this) or den där (that), the noun following it must also take its definite suffix. Because resultat is an ett-word, it becomes det här resultatet.
Is the verb nöja related to the common word nöjd?
Yes, they share the same root. While nöja sig is the reflexive verb meaning to settle or to content oneself, nöjd is the adjective form meaning satisfied or pleased. If you wanted to rephrase this sentence using the adjective, you could say Vi kan inte vara nöjda med det här resultatet.
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