Breakdown of De som är skrockfulla tror att magin kan beskydda dem.
vara
to be
tro
to believe
kunna
to be able to, can
dem
them
att
that
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
de
those (who)
skrockfull
superstitious
magin
the magic
beskydda
to protect (someone, as a guardian or patron)
Questions & Answers about De som är skrockfulla tror att magin kan beskydda dem.
Since this lesson focuses on the optative måtte, could we use it here instead of kan?
Yes, but it drastically changes the tone. If you say tror att magin måtte beskydda dem, you change 'believe that magic can protect them' to 'believe that magic hopefully will protect them.' Måtte expresses a strong wish or desperate plea rather than a simple capability.
Why do we use De som instead of Dem som at the beginning?
De is the subject of the main verb tror (believe). When the people referred to are performing the action of the main clause, you must use the subject pronoun De. A common mistake is using Dem just because the word 'Those' feels separated from the main verb by the som clause.
Is there a difference between beskydda and the simpler word skydda?
Yes. While both mean 'protect,' beskydda carries a sense of overarching guardianship, patronage, or sheltering from a higher power, which fits perfectly with magic. Skydda is more often used for practical, physical protection, like a helmet protecting your head.
Why is the definite form of magic spelled magin here?
The root word is en magi. For common gender (en) words that end in a vowel, especially loanwords ending in -i like en fantasi or en energi, the definite form is created by simply adding an -n.
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