Breakdown of Vilken kod vi än skriver, har systemet ingen mänsklig känsla.
vi
we
ha
to have
skriva
to write
vilken
which (en) / what a (en-word, exclamatory)
Questions & Answers about Vilken kod vi än skriver, har systemet ingen mänsklig känsla.
Why do we use Vilken here when the English translation says 'Whatever' (which is usually Vad)?
When 'whatever' or 'no matter what' modifies a specific noun, Swedish uses the appropriate form of vilken (which). Because kod is an en-word, it becomes Vilken kod (literally 'Which code'). You only use vad if there is no noun attached, as in Vad vi än skriver (Whatever we write).
What is the rule for where än goes in this phrase?
In these 'no matter what/who' clauses, än is placed between the subject and the verb. The pattern is: Question phrase + Subject + än + Verb. Here, that gives us Vilken kod (question phrase) + vi (subject) + än + skriver (verb).
Why does the second part of the sentence say har systemet instead of systemet har?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule at work. The entire 'whatever' clause (Vilken kod vi än skriver) acts as the first piece of information in the overall sentence. To keep the main verb in the required second position, the main clause must start with the verb (har) followed by its subject (systemet).