Breakdown of Regeln innebär att om beslutet inte är enhälligt, förlorar de skyldiga rösträtten.
vara
to be
inte
not
de
the (plural, before adjective)
att
that
förlora
to lose
regeln
the rule
om
if, whether
beslutet
the decision
skyldig
guilty
innebära
involve
enhällig
unanimous
rösträtten
the right to vote
Questions & Answers about Regeln innebär att om beslutet inte är enhälligt, förlorar de skyldiga rösträtten.
Why does it say förlorar de skyldiga (verb-subject) inside an att-clause? Shouldn't att-clauses have straight word order?
Normally, yes. But here we have a nested subordinate clause (om beslutet inte är enhälligt) right after att. Because this om-clause takes up the first position of the att-clause, the V2 (verb-second) rule kicks in for the rest of the statement. Therefore, the verb förlorar comes immediately after the comma, followed by the subject de skyldiga.
Why is inte placed before the verb är in om beslutet inte är enhälligt?
This is a perfect example of the BIFF rule. In Swedish, the BIFF rule dictates that in a subordinate clause, sentence adverbs like inte must come before the first conjugated verb. Since the om phrase is a subordinate clause, inte goes before är.
Could I use betyder instead of innebär here?
You would be understood, but innebär is the more natural choice. Innebär is used when something entails a consequence or leads to a specific result, such as what a rule or a new law does. Betyder is usually reserved for the direct meaning or translation of a word, sign, or symbol.
Why does skyldiga act as a noun here in de skyldiga?
De skyldiga translates to the guilty or the guilty ones. In Swedish, you can often take a definite adjective and use it as a standalone noun to refer to a group of people who share that characteristic. You do not need to add a noun like personer after it.
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