Breakdown of Vi vill bli självförsörjande i ekobyn, så alla är med och odlar.
vara
to be
vi
we
och
and
i
in
vilja
to want to
alla
all
så
so
bli
to become
med
with
odla
to grow (cultivate)
självförsörjande
self-sufficient
ekobyn
the eco-village
Questions & Answers about Vi vill bli självförsörjande i ekobyn, så alla är med och odlar.
What exactly does är med och odlar mean here, and how does this structure work?
This is a participative pseudo-coordination. Literally, it translates to "is with and farms." We use vara med och followed by another verb to mean "take part in doing something" or "help do something." Here, it means that everyone takes part in farming.
Why does it say odlar (present tense) instead of the infinitive odla?
In Swedish pseudo-coordinations connected by och, both verbs must be in the same tense. Since the first verb (är) is in the present tense, the second verb must also be in the present tense (odlar). You cannot use the infinitive here, even though it translates to "takes part in farming" in English.
Since vi (we) is plural, why doesn't the adjective självförsörjande get a plural -a ending?
Självförsörjande is a present participle (formed from the verb försörja). Present participles end in -ande or -ende and often act as adjectives, but they are invariable. This means they never change their endings to match gender or number, so it stays exactly the same whether you are talking about one person or a whole village.
How is the word självförsörjande constructed?
It is a compound of själv (self) and försörjande (providing or supporting), which comes from the verb försörja (to support or provide for). Together, it literally means "self-providing," which translates perfectly to "self-sufficient."
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