Breakdown of Simuleringen i sig är varken bra eller dålig.
vara
to be
bra
good / well
i
in
sig
oneself / himself / herself / themselves
Questions & Answers about Simuleringen i sig är varken bra eller dålig.
Why do we use sig here instead of den to mean 'itself'?
In Swedish, the fixed expression for 'in itself' or 'per se' is i sig, using the reflexive pronoun. If you used i den, it would literally mean 'inside it' (like being inside the simulation) rather than 'the simulation in itself'.
Does the phrase varken ... eller require an extra negative word like inte?
No, it doesn't. varken (neither) and eller (nor) already make the sentence negative on their own. Adding inte would be grammatically incorrect here.
dålig matches the en-word simuleringen, but why doesn't bra have a specific matching form?
The adjective bra is invariable in Swedish. It never changes its ending, meaning it stays exactly the same whether it describes an en-word, an ett-word, or a plural noun.
Could I use i själva verket instead of i sig here?
Not without changing the meaning. i sig means 'in itself' or 'inherently', focusing on the abstract nature of the simulation. i själva verket means 'in reality' or 'actually', which you would use to contrast a misconception with the truth.