Breakdown of Katten lär trivas så länge du matar den.
du
you (singular)
den
it (common)
katten
the cat
trivas
to thrive
mata
to feed
lär
is said to / is likely to
så länge
as long as
Questions & Answers about Katten lär trivas så länge du matar den.
The lesson mentions så länge (som). Why isn't som used in this sentence?
In Swedish, så länge and så länge som both mean 'as long as'. The som is optional when introducing a subordinate clause. In everyday Swedish, especially spoken, it is very common to drop the som, which is why it is simply så länge du matar den here.
Doesn't lär usually mean 'learns'? Why is it translated as 'will probably'?
You are thinking of the reflexive verb lär sig (learns). When lär is used as an auxiliary (helping) verb directly before an infinitive like trivas, it means 'is likely to' or 'will probably'. It is a very common B2-level way to express an assumption or strong probability.
Why does trivas end in an 's'? Is it a passive verb?
No, trivas is a deponent verb, meaning it always ends in -s but has an active meaning. It does not mean someone is doing something to the cat. Instead, trivas translates to 'to thrive', 'to feel comfortable', or 'to be happy' in a certain situation.
Why does the sentence end with den instead of det for 'it'?
The pronoun refers back to the cat. Because katt is an en-word (en katt, katten), you must use the matching pronoun den to say 'it'. If you were feeding an ett-word like ett lejon (a lion), you would end the sentence with det.
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