Breakdown of Varken klienten eller föraren var vållande.
vara
to be
eller
or
varken
neither
klienten
the client
Questions & Answers about Varken klienten eller föraren var vållande.
Why isn't there a negative word like inte in this sentence?
In Swedish, varken ... eller (neither ... nor) makes the entire clause negative on its own. Adding inte to the verb would create a double negative, which violates standard Swedish grammar rules. This is a key part of the negative concord constraint.
Does the verb change if varken ... eller connects plural nouns instead of singular ones?
No. Because Swedish verbs do not conjugate for number or person, the verb remains var regardless of whether the subjects connected by varken ... eller are singular (as in this sentence) or plural.
Why doesn't vållande get an extra -a at the end since it refers to multiple people involved in the situation?
Vållande is a present participle being used as an adjective, meaning 'at fault' or 'causing'. A handy rule is that present participles ending in -ande or -ende never change their form to match gender or plurality.
Is vållande a common word to use in everyday casual conversation?
Generally, no. It is a formal term heavily used by police, lawyers, and insurance companies to establish legal responsibility for an accident. In casual speech, you would more likely use the word fel (fault), such as: Det var varken klientens eller förarens fel.