Question 1

Why use Vad är det som here instead of simply asking Vad avslöjar kroppsspråket?

Accepted Answer

This is a cleft construction used to add focus or emphasis. While Vad avslöjar kroppsspråket (What does the body language reveal?) is a perfectly standard question, adding är det som (is it that) places a spotlight on the unknown information. It feels more curious or emphatic, just like its exact English equivalent.

Question 2

Is the word som strictly required in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

In this specific sentence, no, though it is standard and preferred. Because the question word Vad acts as the object of the verb (the body language reveals what), you can drop som in casual speech, making it Vad är det kroppsspråket avslöjar?. However, if the question word were the subject (for example, if asking 'What is it that reveals the truth?'), som would be absolutely mandatory.

Question 3

Why is there an extra s in the middle of kroppsspråket?

Accepted Answer

That is a connecting s (often called a fog-s), which is frequently used to glue Swedish compound words together. When joining kropp (body) and språk (language), the s acts as a bridge to make the word flow better naturally.

Question 4

Does karaktär cover all the same meanings as the English word character?

Accepted Answer

Almost, but not entirely. It works perfectly here for a fictional person in a book or movie, and it also describes someone's personality or moral fiber. However, if you are talking about a typed letter or symbol (like a Chinese character or a special character in a password), you must use the word tecken instead.

Vad är det som kroppsspråket avslöjar om karaktären?

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