Breakdown of Vi låter organismen studeras. Den förökar sig nämligen snabbt.
vi
we
den
it (common)
snabb
fast
låta
to let, allow
studera
to study (formal, at university)
nämligen
namely / because (explanatory adverb)
organismen
the organism
föröka sig
to reproduce
Questions & Answers about Vi låter organismen studeras. Den förökar sig nämligen snabbt.
Why is nämligen translated as 'you see' here instead of 'namely'?
While nämligen literally means 'namely' when specifying a detail, it is very frequently used to introduce the reason or explanation for the previous statement. In English, we typically express this by using 'because' or by adding 'you see' at the end of the sentence.
Why does nämligen come after sig instead of directly after the verb förökar?
Sentence adverbs typically go directly after the first conjugated verb in a main clause. However, with reflexive verbs like förökar sig, the reflexive pronoun (sig) bonds very closely with the verb and takes priority. The sentence adverb nämligen must therefore be placed after sig.
Why does the verb studeras end in an -s here?
The -s forms the passive voice, meaning the organism is 'being studied' rather than doing the studying itself. Because the active verb låter (let) forces the following verb into its infinitive form, we use the passive infinitive studeras.
Could we use eftersom (because) instead of nämligen to explain why it is being studied?
Yes, but it would change the grammar. Eftersom is a subordinating conjunction, so it would combine everything into one sentence: Vi låter organismen studeras eftersom den förökar sig snabbt. Using nämligen is a neat way to provide a 'because' explanation while keeping the statements as two independent main clauses.
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