Breakdown of Varför skulle jag ha dåligt samvete för resterna?
jag
I
ha
to have
varför
why
för
for, to
dålig
bad
skulle
would
resterna
the leftovers
samvetet
the conscience
Questions & Answers about Varför skulle jag ha dåligt samvete för resterna?
How does skulle change the tone of this question compared to just asking Varför har jag dåligt samvete?
Using skulle turns this into a rhetorical question expressing indignation or defensiveness. While Varför har jag dåligt samvete? is a literal inquiry into your own feelings ("Why do I feel guilty?"), Varför skulle jag ha dåligt samvete? means "Why on earth would I feel guilty?" implying that you absolutely shouldn't.
In English we say "guilty conscience". Would it make sense to say skyldigt samvete in Swedish?
No, that would sound very unnatural to a Swede. The fixed expression for feeling guilty is always dåligt samvete (literally "bad conscience"). The word skyldig is used when someone is actually at fault or legally guilty of a crime, but not for the internal feeling of guilt itself.
Why do we use the preposition för here instead of om to say "about" the leftovers?
Prepositions rarely translate one-to-one between English and Swedish. The expression dåligt samvete pairs with the preposition för to indicate the cause of the guilt (ha dåligt samvete för något). It is best to memorize för as an integrated part of this phrase.
What is the base noun for resterna, and does it only refer to food?
The base noun is en rest (a remainder or leftover), and here it is in the definite plural (resterna). While it is the standard word for leftover food, it is also widely used in other contexts, often in the singular, such as resten av livet (the rest of one's life) or behåll resten (keep the change/the rest).
Learn Varför skulle jag ha dåligt samvete för resterna 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