Breakdown of Den här strukturen låter sig modifieras.
sig
oneself / himself / herself / themselves
den här
this (en)
låta
to let, allow
modifiera
to modify
strukturen
the structure
Questions & Answers about Den här strukturen låter sig modifieras.
How does låter sig + modifieras mean "can be modified"?
The phrase låta sig combined with a passive infinitive (like modifieras) forms a pseudo-passive. Literally, it translates to "allows itself to be modified," but in natural English, it simply translates as "can be modified."
Why does modifieras end in an "s"?
The -s marks the passive infinitive. Even though låter sig handles the "can be" part of the translation, the verb receiving the action must still be passive because the structure is not modifying anything itself; it is being modified.
Could I just say kan modifieras instead?
Yes, kan modifieras means the exact same thing and is more common in everyday speech. Låter sig is slightly more formal and carries a subtle nuance that the item's nature permits or yields to the modification.
Why is the noun strukturen in the definite form here?
As a quick refresher: whenever you use the demonstratives den här (this) or den där (that), Swedish requires the noun following it to take the definite form. That is why it is den här strukturen, and never den här struktur.
What happens to sig if the subject changes?
Sig is the third-person reflexive pronoun, matching the "it" of the structure. If you change the subject, the pronoun must match it. For example: Jag låter mig modifieras (I let myself be modified) or Vi låter oss modifieras (We let ourselves be modified).
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