Breakdown of Hållbarheten är faktiskt mycket bättre än vad vi trodde.
vara
to be
vi
we
mycket
much / very
vad
what
tro
to believe
än
than
faktiskt
actually (as a matter of fact, in fact)
bättre
better (bra → bättre → bäst)
hållbarheten
the durability
Questions & Answers about Hållbarheten är faktiskt mycket bättre än vad vi trodde.
Why do we use än vad here instead of just än?
Using än vad (than what) instead of just än (than) is extremely common in Swedish when comparing an adjective to a whole clause, like vi trodde. The vad acts as a placeholder representing the degree of durability you originally expected.
Would the sentence still be correct if we dropped vad and just said än vi trodde?
Yes, än vi trodde is perfectly correct and is actually considered slightly more formal or stylistically neat in written Swedish. However, adding vad is so natural in everyday speech that you will hear it constantly at this level.
Hållbarheten can mean both sustainability and durability. How do we tell which one is meant here?
Context is key! If you are talking about a physical product like a pair of boots or a battery, it means durability or shelf life. If you are discussing environmental policies or materials, it means sustainability. The root word is hållbar, meaning keep-able or able to hold.
Could I put faktiskt at the beginning of the sentence and say Faktiskt hållbarheten är...?
Learn Hållbarheten är faktiskt mycket bättre än vad vi trodde 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