Breakdown of Lagringen känns lång, om än nödvändig.
lång
long / tall
om
if, whether
kännas
to feel (to have a certain feel, to seem)
nödvändig
necessary
än
ever (concessive particle)
lagringen
the maturation
Questions & Answers about Lagringen känns lång, om än nödvändig.
How does om än work here, and could I just write a full clause instead?
Om än means "albeit" or "even if." It acts as a shortcut to contrast the two adjectives lång and nödvändig directly without repeating the subject and verb. You could write a full subordinate clause like även om den är nödvändig (even if it is necessary), but using om än makes the sentence tighter and more elegant.
Why do both adjectives lång and nödvändig lack a -t at the end?
Both adjectives describe the subject lagringen (the maturation). Since en lagring is an en-word, any adjective describing it must take the basic en-form. Even though nödvändig comes after the phrase om än, it still points back to lagringen and must agree with its gender.
What exactly does lagringen mean in this context?
The noun en lagring (from the verb att lagra) broadly means "storage." However, in the context of food, wine, or whiskey, it translates to "aging" or "maturation." It refers to the necessary time a product spends in a cellar or barrel to develop its flavor.
Why do we use the s-verb känns here instead of känner?
Känns is the passive form used when a subject gives off a certain feeling or impression to an observer (like "it feels long"). If you used the active verb känner, it would mean the subject is physically touching something or experiencing an emotion, which a maturation process obviously cannot do!
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