Breakdown of Lavan är mycket varm, varför vi måste fly.
vara
to be
vi
we
mycket
much / very
varm
warm
måste
to have to, must
fly
to flee
varför
which is why
lavan
the lava
Questions & Answers about Lavan är mycket varm, varför vi måste fly.
Doesn't varför usually mean "why" in a question? How is it functioning here?
You are right! But here it acts as a consecutive relative adverb. Instead of asking a question, it refers back to the entire previous clause to express a logical consequence. In this context, it translates perfectly to "which is why" or "and therefore".
If varför connects these ideas, does it introduce a main clause or a subclause?
It introduces a subclause. You cannot see the difference in this exact sentence because there is no sentence adverb, but if you added one like inte (not), it would go before the verb according to Swedish subclause word order rules: ...varför vi inte måste fly.
Can I use därför or därför att instead of varför here?
You cannot use därför att, because that means "because" and introduces the cause, which would reverse the logic. You could say ...och därför måste vi fly (and therefore we must flee), which starts a new main clause and requires inverted word order. Using varför as a single connector is a neat, slightly more formal way to express the same result.
Is fly used here the same as "to fly" in an airplane?
No, this is a "false friend"! In Swedish, fly means "to flee" or "to escape". If you want to talk about a bird or an airplane flying, the Swedish verb is flyga.
Learn Lavan är mycket varm, varför vi måste fly 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