Breakdown of Du behöver inte larmkoden så länge som du hör dörrklockan.
du
you (singular)
inte
not
behöva
to need
höra
to hear
så länge
as long as
larmkoden
the alarm code
dörrklockan
the doorbell
Questions & Answers about Du behöver inte larmkoden så länge som du hör dörrklockan.
Is the word som strictly necessary in så länge som, or could I drop it?
You can safely drop it. Both så länge som and just så länge are perfectly correct and mean the exact same thing ("as long as"). Including som simply makes it sound a tiny bit more formal or complete.
Does så länge som express time or a condition in this sentence?
It actually expresses both at the same time, which is very common for this conjunction. It sets a time frame (during the time you hear the doorbell) and a condition (provided that you can hear it).
How would the word order change if I started the sentence with Så länge som du hör dörrklockan?
You would have to use the V2 rule (verb in the second position) for the main clause. Because the entire subordinate clause counts as position one, the verb behöver must come immediately after it: Så länge som du hör dörrklockan behöver du inte larmkoden.
If I wanted to say "as long as you do not hear the doorbell", where would inte go in the second half of the sentence?
It would go before the verb, making it så länge som du inte hör dörrklockan. This is a great time to remember the BIFF rule: in a subordinate clause, the negation inte always comes before the finite (conjugated) verb.
Learn Du behöver inte larmkoden så länge som du hör dörrklockan and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free