Breakdown of Hur stor är glaciären i förhållande till temperaturen?
vara
to be
stor
big
hur
how
temperaturen
the temperature
i förhållande till
in relation to
glaciären
the glacier
Questions & Answers about Hur stor är glaciären i förhållande till temperaturen?
Why do we use i förhållande till here instead of the other compound preposition in this lesson, med hänsyn till?
I förhållande till expresses a comparison, proportion, or correlation between two things, like the size of the glacier and the temperature. Med hänsyn till means "taking into consideration" or "out of respect for." It implies a human action or decision made while keeping a factor in mind, which doesn't fit a factual question about physical correlation.
I learned that ett förhållande means a romantic relationship. Does it really apply to ice and heat?
Yes! While ett förhållande is the standard word for a romantic relationship, its broader meaning is a "relation," "condition," or "ratio." In the fixed prepositional phrase i förhållande till, it specifically means "in relation to" or "compared to," making it the perfect choice for comparing physical properties or statistics.
Why is temperaturen in the definite form here?
We are talking about the specific temperature of the environment surrounding glaciären (the glacier). However, as a quick refresher, remember that even if we were speaking broadly about temperature as an abstract scientific concept, Swedish often requires the definite form for general concepts where English might leave them indefinite.
Would the form of stor change if we were asking about a different geographical feature?
Yes. Stor is in the common form here because it describes glaciären (from the en-word en glaciär). If you were asking about a neuter noun (an ett-word) like a mountain (ett berg), the adjective would need the neuter -t ending: Hur stort är berget i förhållande till temperaturen?
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