Breakdown of Jag svär eden, vilka risker vi än må ta.
jag
I
vi
we
ta
to take
vilka
which (plural)
risken
the risk
svära
to swear
än
ever (concessive particle)
må
may (concessive auxiliary)
eden
the oath
Questions & Answers about Jag svär eden, vilka risker vi än må ta.
How does the structure vilka ... än work to mean "whatever"?
To say "whatever [noun]" or "whichever [noun]" in Swedish, you frame the noun with vilken/vilket/vilka and the word än. Here, vilka risker (what risks) is followed by the subject vi and then än. The word än typically sits right before the verb phrase.
What exactly is the role of må in this sentence?
The word må is a concessive auxiliary verb here. It expresses that an action happens regardless of conditions, similar to "may" or "might" in English ("whatever risks we may take"). It gives the sentence a dramatic, formal tone. In everyday speech, you would usually drop it and just say vilka risker vi än tar.
Why use vilka instead of vad for "whatever" in this sentence?
Because "risks" is a specific plural noun (risker). When "whatever" modifies a noun directly, Swedish uses the matching form of "which" (vilken, vilket, or vilka). If you didn't have a noun and just wanted to say "whatever we may take", you would use vad vi än må ta.
What is the root word of eden?
The word eden is the definite singular form of en ed, which means "an oath".
Learn Jag svär eden, vilka risker vi än må ta and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free