Questions & Answers about Han har bestämt sig för att inte nöja sig med mindre.
Why do we use the reflexive bestämt sig here instead of just bestämt?
While bestämma means to determine an outcome or rule, the reflexive bestämma sig means to make up one's mind. It belongs to the group of reflexive verbs that describe an internal mental or emotional shift, rather than a direct action on an external object.
Why is the preposition för used right after the first reflexive pronoun?
To express making up your mind to do a specific action, Swedish requires the preposition för. The complete fixed phrase is bestämma sig för att followed by the verb in its infinitive form.
Why does inte come before the verb in att inte nöja sig?
When negating an infinitive verb phrase, Swedish word order places sentence adverbs like inte directly after the infinitive marker att and before the verb itself.
How does nöja sig fit the theme of emotional shifts, and why use med?
Nöja sig translates to contenting oneself or settling. It describes a psychological shift to a state of acceptance rather than a physical action. It is almost always paired with the preposition med to indicate exactly what you are settling for.