Breakdown of De stoppade inbrottet, varigenom skadan kunde minskas.
de
they
kunna
to be able to, can
minska
to reduce
skadan
the damage
inbrottet
the burglary
stoppa
to stop (something); to put, stuff
varigenom
whereby
Questions & Answers about De stoppade inbrottet, varigenom skadan kunde minskas.
How does varigenom function in this sentence?
varigenom translates to "whereby" or "through which." In this sentence, it acts as a formal relative pronoun that refers back to the entire first clause (the fact that they stopped the burglary), showing how that specific action led to the minimized damage. It essentially replaces the phrase genom vilket.
Is varigenom a word I should use in casual daily conversation?
No, it is quite formal and is mostly found in written texts like news articles, police reports, or academic papers. In everyday spoken Swedish, you would be much more likely to hear a phrasing like vilket gjorde att (which meant that) or och på så sätt (and in that way).
Why is the verb minskas written with an -s at the end?
The -s makes it a passive infinitive. The damage isn't reducing anything itself; it is being reduced by the action of stopping the burglary. Because it follows the auxiliary verb kunde (could), it stays in its infinitive passive form, minskas (be minimized), rather than the active minska (minimize).
Why doesn't the verb come immediately after varigenom?
Since varigenom introduces a relative subordinate clause, you must use standard subordinate clause word order: subject followed by verb. Therefore, the subject skadan (the damage) correctly comes right before the verb kunde. Inverted word order (verb before subject) is triggered by starting a main clause with an adverb or object, which is not what is happening here.
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