Breakdown of Det är mödosamt att hitta pusselbiten, men tack vare envisheten pusslar vi på.
vara
to be
det
it (neuter)
vi
we
hitta
to find
att
to
men
but
tack vare
thanks to
pussla
to do a jigsaw puzzle
på
on (continuative aspectual particle)
mödosam
arduous / grueling
pusselbiten
the puzzle piece
envisheten
the stubbornness
Questions & Answers about Det är mödosamt att hitta pusselbiten, men tack vare envisheten pusslar vi på.
How does the particle på change the meaning of pusslar here?
Adding på to a verb often gives it a continuative aspect, meaning the action continues steadily or persistently over time. Just like the English translation 'puzzle on', pusslar på means we keep on doing the puzzle despite the difficulty.
Why is the word order pusslar vi instead of 'vi pusslar' in the second half of the sentence?
Swedish is a V2 (verb-second) language. The conjunction men connects two independent clauses and doesn't count towards the position. However, the phrase tack vare envisheten takes up the first position in the second clause. Therefore, the verb pusslar must come next, pushing the subject vi to the third position.
Could I use på grund av instead of tack vare?
You could grammatically, but it would change the tone. Tack vare literally means 'thanks to' and is used for positive causes or outcomes. På grund av (due to or because of) is usually neutral or negative. Since continuing the puzzle is seen as a positive achievement here, tack vare is the natural choice.
Why use the definite form envisheten when English just says 'stubbornness'?
In Swedish, abstract nouns like envishet (stubbornness) are frequently used in the definite form when referring to the concept generally or within a specific context. It sounds more natural here to use the definite form rather than a possessive pronoun like vår envishet (our stubbornness) or leaving it indefinite.
What is the root of the word mödosamt?
It comes from the noun en möda, which means an effort, trouble, or labor. Adding the suffix -sam turns it into an adjective meaning laborious or arduous. The -t at the end is added because the adjective describes the neutral dummy subject det (it is laborious).
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