Breakdown of Vem roboten än möter, är den outtröttlig.
vara
to be
den
it (common)
vem
who
möta
to meet (encounter, come face to face)
än
ever (concessive particle)
roboten
the robot
outtröttlig
tireless
Questions & Answers about Vem roboten än möter, är den outtröttlig.
How does the vem ... än structure mean "whoever", and why is roboten placed in the middle?
The construction vem ... än translates to "whoever". In standard written Swedish, the question word (vem) and än wrap around the subject of the clause. Because roboten is the subject (the one doing the meeting), it sits right between them.
Is it acceptable to keep the phrase together and say Vem än roboten möter?
In casual, spoken Swedish, you will frequently hear people keep the phrase together. However, standard grammar rules dictate splitting vem and än around the subject, which is why you see Vem roboten än möter in careful speech and writing.
Why does the second part of the sentence start with the verb är instead of den är?
This is the classic V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire concessive clause (Vem roboten än möter) acts as the first block of information in the sentence. Therefore, the verb of the main clause (är) must take the second position, forcing the subject (den) to come immediately after it.
Can you break down the parts of the word outtröttlig?
It is built around the root trött (tired). When combined with ut, it refers to the concept of tiring out or exhausting. The prefix o- acts like the English "un-" or "not", and the suffix -lig works like "-able". Put it all together, and o-ut-trött-lig literally means "un-out-tire-able", or tireless.
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