Breakdown of Att bli självförsörjande innebär att vi är med och delar ansvaret i kollektivet.
vara
to be
vi
we
och
and
i
in
bli
to become
med
with
att
that
dela
to divide / to share
ansvaret
the responsibility
innebära
involve
självförsörjande
self-sufficient
kollektivet
the commune
Questions & Answers about Att bli självförsörjande innebär att vi är med och delar ansvaret i kollektivet.
How does the phrase är med och delar work, and why isn't the second verb in the infinitive?
This is a participative pseudo-coordination. The phrase vara med och (to be involved in / to take part in) is linked by och (and), meaning the verbs act as a pair. Because they are coordinated, the second verb must match the tense of the first. Since är is in the present tense, the second verb must be delar (present tense), not the infinitive dela.
Does vara med och mean the exact same thing as hjälpa till att (to help to)?
They are similar but carry a different nuance. Hjälpa till att often suggests you are assisting someone else who is doing the primary work. Vara med och implies shared participation or being an active part of a group effort. In this sentence, it perfectly captures the idea of equally taking part in the commune's collective duties.
Självförsörjande ends in -ande. Do I need to make it plural since it refers to the plural subject vi (we)?
No, you do not. Självförsörjande is a present participle formed from the verb försörja (to provide for / to support). In Swedish, present participles function like adjectives, but they are completely indeclinable. This means they never change their ending to match singular, plural, definite, or indefinite nouns.
Could I use betyder instead of innebär to say what becoming self-sufficient means?
It would be understood, but innebär is much more natural here. Betyder is typically used for direct definitions, translations, or symbols (like what a word or a traffic light means). Innebär translates closer to 'entails' or 'involves as a consequence'. Since sharing responsibility is a logical consequence of being self-sufficient, innebär is the right choice.
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