Learn Swedish: Vad som än händer borde ni prata om det osagda. - Whatever happens, you plural should talk about the unsaid.

In this sentence, osagda is a past participle acting as a noun to represent an abstract concept ("the unsaid"). When we use an adjective or participle this way with the definite article det, it takes the standard definite ending -a, rather than the neuter -t ending.

How does the phrase vad som än work to mean "whatever"?

The pattern [question word] + som än is the standard way to express "whoever", "whatever", or "wherever" in Swedish. Here, vad means "what" and än adds the "-ever". The word som is required because "whatever" functions as the subject of the verb händer in this clause.

Why is the word order borde ni instead of ni borde?

This is a classic example of the V2 (verb-second) rule. The entire phrase Vad som än händer occupies the first position in the main sentence. Therefore, the main verb borde must take the second position, pushing the subject ni to the third.

How is the word osagda built?

It is built from the verb säga (to say). Its past participle is sagd (said). By adding the negative prefix o- (un-) and the definite adjective ending -a, it becomes the abstract concept det osagda (the unsaid).