Word
Såvitt vi förstår bryr sig kocken inte om utgångsdatumet.
Meaning
As far as we understand, the chef does not care about the expiration date.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Breakdown of Såvitt vi förstår bryr sig kocken inte om utgångsdatumet.
vi
we
inte
not
förstå
to understand
kocken
the chef
Questions & Answers about Såvitt vi förstår bryr sig kocken inte om utgångsdatumet.
How does the word såvitt affect the word order of the main clause here?
Såvitt (as far as) introduces the subordinate clause Såvitt vi förstår. Because this entire clause takes up the first position in the sentence, the main clause must start with the verb to satisfy the V2 (verb-second) rule. That is why we see the verb bryr right after the subordinate clause, before the subject kocken.
Why is the phrase bry sig om split up so much in this sentence?
Bry sig om (to care about) is a reflexive particle verb. Because of the V2 rule, the verb bryr is placed first in the main clause. The reflexive pronoun sig is unstressed and often slips in right after the verb, before the noun subject kocken. The negation inte follows the subject, and the particle om comes right before its object, utgångsdatumet.
Could I say så långt som vi förstår instead of såvitt vi förstår?
No, så långt som is used for physical distances (like as far as the eye can see). For abstract expressions of limit, such as what you know, understand, or can remember, you must use såvitt.
Why is there an s in the middle of utgångsdatumet?