Breakdown of Vi undersöker hundra personer, varav en stor andel är kvinnor.
vara
to be
vi
we
en
a, an (common)
stor
big
kvinnan
the woman
hundra
a hundred
undersöka
to examine
personen
the person (an individual)
varav
of which
andelen
the proportion
Questions & Answers about Vi undersöker hundra personer, varav en stor andel är kvinnor.
Why do we use varav (of which) here when referring to personer (people)? Shouldn't it be something translating to 'of whom'?
In English, you use 'of whom' for people and 'of which' for things. In Swedish, varav is used for both. It is a compound of var (where) and av (of) that perfectly introduces a subset of the previously mentioned group, whether they are objects, animals, or people.
What is the word order rule immediately following varav in this sentence?
varav acts as a relative adverb introducing a subordinate clause (bisats). This means it is followed directly by the subject, which here is the entire phrase en stor andel. The verb är comes next. If you needed a sentence adverb like inte (not), it would follow the standard subordinate clause rule and go before the verb: varav en stor andel inte är kvinnor.
Could I use del instead of andel here to say 'a large part'?
Yes, but they carry slightly different nuances. andel specifically means a 'proportion', 'share', or 'percentage' of a total amount. Because this sentence describes a statistical subset of exactly hundra personer, andel is the most precise and natural choice. en stor del (a large part) is broader and less mathematical.
What kind of 'investigation' does undersöker refer to here?
att undersöka means to examine, study, or investigate. It is very versatile. In this context, involving hundra personer and demographic proportions, it most likely refers to conducting a research study, a survey, or a clinical trial.
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