eftersom

Eftersom is a Swedish conjunction meaning "because" or "since." It introduces a dependent clause that provides the reason or explanation for the action of the main clause. In English it is commonly translated as "because" or "since," and it is used to link a cause to its effect.

When the dependent clause begins the sentence, a comma is usually placed after it: Eftersom det regnade, stannade vi inne. When the main clause comes first, the eftersom clause follows without a preceding comma: Vi stannade inne eftersom det regnade. The clause introduced by eftersom typically shares the same subject as the main clause, but it can also refer to a different subject, in which case pronouns and verb forms follow standard Swedish usage.

Use and style: Eftersom is a formal and widely accepted option in both spoken and written Swedish. A commonly heard but often discouraged alternative is eftersom att; in standard modern Swedish, eftersom is preferred and eftersom att is considered redundant in many contexts.

Origins and cognates: Eftersom belongs to the Germanic language family and has cognates in other Nordic languages, such as Norwegian ettersom and Danish eftersom. Its exact historical development is not simple, but the form has been part of Swedish for many centuries and remains common in contemporary usage.

Examples: Eftersom det regnade, stannade vi inne. Vi stannade inne eftersom det regnade.