Breakdown of Vasslen är nyttig, om än smaklös.
vara
to be
om
if, whether
nyttig
healthy (food)
smaklös
tasteless
Questions & Answers about Vasslen är nyttig, om än smaklös.
How does om än work here without a verb following it?
Om än translates to "albeit" or "even if." In Swedish, just like in English, you can drop the repeated subject and verb (which would be även om den är) when contrasting two adjectives directly. This elliptical structure creates a neat, concise contrast between nyttig and smaklös.
Can I use även om instead of om än in this sentence?
You could, but it would require a full subordinate clause. You would have to say även om den är smaklös. The phrase om än allows you to skip those extra words and connect the adjectives directly.
Why is it vasslen and nyttig rather than vasslet and nyttigt?
The word for whey can actually be either an en-word (en vassle) or an ett-word (ett vassle) in Swedish. Here, the en-word version is used, which is why it becomes vasslen in the definite form and takes the common gender adjective nyttig.
Does nyttig mean healthy in the sense of a healthy person, or something good for you?
Nyttig specifically means healthy in the sense of being good for you, nutritious, or useful. If you were talking about a person who is in good health, you would use the word frisk instead.