Breakdown of Den nya fjärrstyrda drönaren är snabbare än vad vi förväntade oss.
vara
to be
vi
we
snabb
fast
vad
what
ny
new
den
the (with en-words)
än
than
förvänta sig
to expect
fjärrstyrd
remote-controlled
drönaren
the drone
Questions & Answers about Den nya fjärrstyrda drönaren är snabbare än vad vi förväntade oss.
Why use än vad here instead of just än?
Both are actually correct! In Swedish, when a comparison is followed by a full clause rather than just a noun, inserting the pro-form vad (what) is very common. It acts as a placeholder for the degree of speed being discussed, making the transition into the subclause smoother, much like saying 'faster than what we expected' in English.
Why is oss needed at the very end of the sentence?
The verb förvänta is typically used as the reflexive verb förvänta sig when it means 'to expect' in the sense of anticipating a situation or outcome. Since the subject of that clause is vi (we), the reflexive pronoun must match it as oss.
How do you break down the word fjärrstyrda?
It is a compound made from the prefix fjärr- (remote or distant, related to the word fjärran) and styrd, which is the past participle of the verb styra (to steer or control). Combined, they mean 'remote-controlled'.
A quick refresher: why do both nya and fjärrstyrda end in -a?
This is the Swedish 'double definite' rule in action. Because we are pointing to a specific drone using the independent article Den alongside the definite noun drönaren, any adjectives placed between them must take their definite form, which almost always ends in -a. The past participle fjärrstyrd acts just like a regular adjective here.
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