Breakdown of Att överleva är viktigt, men är existens alltid meningsfullt?
vara
to be
alltid
always
att
to
viktig
important
Questions & Answers about Att överleva är viktigt, men är existens alltid meningsfullt?
Why is it meningsfullt with a T at the end, when existens is an en-word?
This is a great example of 'categorizing neuter'. When we talk about an abstract concept or a mass noun in a broad, philosophical way like 'existence' in this sentence, Swedish often uses the neuter -t form for the adjective. It categorizes the noun as a general phenomenon rather than a specific, countable thing.
Why does viktigt also have a T? Is that the same categorizing rule?
Not quite. The adjective viktigt gets a -t because its subject is the infinitive verb phrase Att överleva (To survive). In Swedish, whenever an infinitive phrase acts as the subject of a sentence, it is grammatically treated as a neuter noun, so any connected predicative adjectives must take the -t ending.
Could I ever use meningsfull without the T when talking about existens?
Yes! If you are talking about a specific, individual existence or lifestyle rather than the abstract concept, you would use the standard en-word agreement. For example, you would say en meningsfull existens (a meaningful existence). The neuter -t in our sentence only happens because it refers to the uncounted, general concept of existence.
Why is the word order är existens instead of existens är in the second half?