Breakdown of Eftersom meditationen är svår behöver du såväl tid som tålamod.
vara
to be
du
you (singular)
behöva
to need
svår
difficult
tiden
the time
eftersom
since, because
tålamodet
the patience
såväl
both (in 'såväl...som')
meditationen
the meditation
Questions & Answers about Eftersom meditationen är svår behöver du såväl tid som tålamod.
How exactly does såväl ... som differ from både ... och?
They both mean "both ... and," but såväl ... som is more formal and is often translated as "as well as." You will see it frequently in written Swedish, news, and formal speech, while både ... och is much more common in everyday conversation.
Can I use såväl ... som to connect full clauses instead of just nouns like tid and tålamod?
No, it is almost exclusively used to connect words or phrases of the same type, such as two nouns, two adjectives, or two infinitive verbs. To connect two full independent clauses, you would just use a standard conjunction like och.
Why is the word order behöver du instead of du behöver in the second half of the sentence?
This is the Swedish V2 (verb-second) rule in action. The entire subordinate clause Eftersom meditationen är svår takes up the first position in the main sentence. Therefore, the main verb behöver must come immediately after it, bumping the subject du to the third position.
The English translation says "meditation," but the Swedish uses the definite form meditationen (the meditation). Why?
In Swedish, uncountable and abstract nouns used in a general, universal sense often take the definite form. While English says "meditation is difficult" or "life is hard," Swedish prefers the definite forms meditationen är svår and livet är hårt.
Learn Eftersom meditationen är svår behöver du såväl tid som tålamod and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free