Advanced Prepositional Usage in Swedish

In Brief

Advanced Swedish uses many fixed prepositional expressions to connect ideas precisely: i förhållande till “in relation to,” i samband med “in connection with,” med tanke på “considering,” and trots “despite.” Learn each expression as a complete unit and notice whether it is followed by a noun phrase or by a clause with att. The small words inside these expressions usually cannot be exchanged freely.

Overview

At C1, prepositions are no longer mainly about physical location. They express comparison, cause, concession, topic, compliance, and logical connection. These relationships are central to reports, academic discussion, news, formal correspondence, and careful everyday argument. Choosing the right expression can make the difference between Swedish that is merely understandable and Swedish that sounds precise and idiomatic.

A prepositional phrase is a group headed by a preposition and followed by its complement—the word group that completes its meaning. In i samband med mötet, the full expression i samband med introduces the noun phrase mötet (“the meeting”). Some items, especially trots, are single prepositions but belong here because their syntax and meaning interact with more complex alternatives such as trots att and trots detta.

English provides useful approximate equivalents, but it is not a reliable guide to the internal preposition. Swedish says i förhållande till, i samband med, and med tanke på. A word-for-word reconstruction can therefore produce the wrong sequence. It is better to memorize the Swedish expression together with a natural frame: i förhållande till något, i samband med något, and med tanke på något.

How It Works

The core patterns

The four central expressions all introduce relationships, but they do different jobs.

Expression	Basic meaning	Typical function	Usual continuation
i förhållande till	in relation to; compared with	relates or compares one thing to a reference point	noun phrase or pronoun
i samband med	in connection with; in conjunction with	links an event, action, or circumstance to another	noun phrase
med tanke på	considering; in view of	presents a fact that should influence a judgment	noun phrase or pronoun
trots	despite; in spite of	marks a fact that did not prevent the result	noun phrase or pronoun

A noun phrase is a noun and the words belonging with it, such as det dåliga vädret (“the bad weather”). A clause is a group containing a subject and a verb, such as vädret var dåligt (“the weather was bad”). This distinction controls several of the most important choices in this topic.

• trots det dåliga vädret — despite the bad weather
• trots att vädret var dåligt — although the weather was bad
• med tanke på kostnaden — considering the cost
• med tanke på att det kostar så mycket — considering that it costs so much

Before an att-clause, trots becomes the conjunction trots att. A conjunction is a linking word that introduces a clause. With med tanke på, the preposition på remains before att: med tanke på att ....

I förhållande till: relation and comparison

Use i förhållande till when one item is evaluated against another reference point. It can describe a neutral relationship or an explicit comparison:

• Priset är högt i förhållande till kvaliteten. — The price is high relative to the quality.
• Försäljningen ökade i förhållande till förra året. — Sales increased compared with last year.

In straightforward comparisons, shorter jämfört med (“compared with”) is often more direct. I förhållande till is especially useful when the relationship is broader than a simple measurement: makt i förhållande till ansvar (“power in relation to responsibility”). Do not omit till; the full unit is fixed.

I samband med: a connection, not necessarily a cause

I samband med says that two things are connected, often by time, topic, or circumstance:

• Rutinerna ändrades i samband med flytten. — The procedures changed in connection with the move.
• Hon intervjuades i samband med utredningen. — She was interviewed in connection with the investigation.

The phrase does not by itself prove that the second event caused the first. If a cause is intended, use a causal expression such as på grund av (“because of”) or, in formal contexts, till följd av (“as a result of”). Compare:

• Mötet ställdes in i samband med ovädret. — The cancellation was connected in some way with the storm.
• Mötet ställdes in på grund av ovädret. — The storm was the reason for the cancellation.

Med tanke på: a relevant consideration

Med tanke på introduces information that makes the following judgment, decision, or reaction reasonable. Depending on context, natural English equivalents include “considering,” “given,” and “in view of.”

• Med tanke på tiden bör vi avsluta nu. — Given the time, we should finish now.
• Resultatet är imponerande med tanke på omständigheterna. — The result is impressive considering the circumstances.

Word order depends on position. When the phrase comes first, Swedish finite-verb-second order applies: Med tanke på kostnaden valde vi ett enklare alternativ. The finite verb valde comes before the subject vi. A finite verb is a verb marked for tense and able to head a statement, here “chose.”

Be careful with English “with a view to,” which often expresses an aim. Swedish normally uses med sikte på for that meaning: De investerar med sikte på framtiden (“They are investing with a view to the future”). Med tanke på framtiden usually means “considering the future” or “with the future in mind,” not necessarily pursuing a specific goal.

Trots: an obstacle that does not change the outcome

Trots introduces a circumstance that might have been expected to prevent something, but did not:

• Trots regnet gick vi ut. — Despite the rain, we went out.
• Hon fortsatte trots kritiken. — She continued despite the criticism.

Use trots att before a full clause:

• Trots att det regnade gick vi ut. — Although it was raining, we went out.

A common formal connector is trots detta (“despite this” or “nevertheless”). It refers back to an entire previous statement: Budgeten var begränsad. Trots detta slutfördes projektet i tid.

Other high-frequency advanced expressions

These related phrases help organize formal reasoning. Their meanings overlap, but they are not interchangeable.

Relationship	Expression	Meaning and caution
cause	på grund av	because of; neutral, common
result	till följd av	as a result of; formal and explicitly causal
topic	när det gäller	regarding; common in speech and writing
topic	med avseende på	with respect to; formal and technical
basis	på grundval av	on the basis of, especially evidence or data
compliance	i enlighet med	in accordance with a rule, plan, or agreement
exception	med undantag för	with the exception of
purpose/direction	med sikte på	with a view to; aiming at

Examples in Context

Swedish	English	Note
I förhållande till förra året har kostnaderna minskat.	In relation to last year, costs have decreased.	Comparison with a reference period
Lönen är låg i förhållande till ansvaret.	The salary is low relative to the responsibility.	Evaluates two related factors
I samband med mötet presenterades den nya planen.	The new plan was presented in connection with the meeting.	Event connection
Biblioteket håller stängt i samband med renoveringen.	The library will be closed in connection with the renovation.	Circumstantial or temporal link
Med tanke på framtiden behöver staden fler bostäder.	With the future in mind, the city needs more housing.	Future needs are a consideration
Med tanke på att tåget är försenat kan vi ta en kaffe.	Given that the train is delayed, we can have a coffee.	Followed by an att-clause
Trots regnet gick vi ut.	Despite the rain, we went out.	Noun phrase after trots
Trots att hon var trött avslutade hon rapporten.	Although she was tired, she finished the report.	Full clause after trots att
Förslaget mötte kritik. Trots detta antogs det.	The proposal faced criticism. Nevertheless, it was adopted.	Refers back to a whole sentence
Flyget ställdes in på grund av dimman.	The flight was cancelled because of the fog.	Direct cause
Flera vägar skadades till följd av översvämningen.	Several roads were damaged as a result of the flood.	Formal causal result
Beslutet fattades i enlighet med gällande regler.	The decision was made in accordance with the applicable rules.	Compliance with rules
När det gäller tidsplanen behöver vi vara realistiska.	Regarding the schedule, we need to be realistic.	Introduces a topic
Analysen gjordes på grundval av uppgifter från kommunen.	The analysis was conducted on the basis of data from the municipality.	Evidential basis
Företaget utbildar personalen med sikte på en internationell expansion.	The company is training its staff with a view to international expansion.	Goal, not merely consideration

Common Mistakes

Replacing a fixed internal preposition

• Wrong: i förhållande med resultatet
• Right: i förhållande till resultatet
• Why: The established expression ends in till. English meaning cannot be used to predict or replace that word.

Using trots directly before a clause

• Wrong: Trots det regnade gick vi ut.
• Right: Trots att det regnade gick vi ut.
• Why: A full clause requires trots att. Plain trots takes a noun phrase: trots regnet.

Dropping på before att

• Wrong: Med tanke att tiden är knapp bör vi börja.
• Right: Med tanke på att tiden är knapp bör vi börja.
• Why: Med tanke på remains intact even when its complement is an att-clause.

Treating connection as proof of cause

• Misleading: Priserna steg i samband med reformen when you mean that the reform caused the increase.
• Clearer: Priserna steg till följd av reformen.
• Why: I samband med establishes a connection, not necessarily causation. Choose an explicitly causal phrase if that claim is justified.

Forgetting inversion after an initial phrase

• Wrong: Med tanke på vädret vi stannar hemma.
• Right: Med tanke på vädret stannar vi hemma.
• Why: In a Swedish main clause, placing the prepositional phrase first puts the finite verb next; the subject follows it.

Translating “with a view to” as med tanke på

• Potentially wrong: Vi sparar med tanke på en längre resa when the trip is the goal.
• Better: Vi sparar med sikte på en längre resa.
• Why: Med tanke på presents a consideration. Med sikte på expresses an intended objective.

Usage Notes

Many of these expressions are particularly useful in formal and semi-formal Swedish, but they are not all equally formal. Trots, på grund av, and med tanke på occur naturally in conversation. I förhållande till and i samband med are common in professional and public language, while med avseende på, på grundval av, and i enlighet med have a more administrative, legal, or academic flavor.

Good style does not mean using the longest expression available. In an everyday conversation, om may be more natural than med avseende på, and jämfört med may be clearer than i förhållande till. Advanced command means selecting an expression that fits the relationship and register, not making every sentence formal.

Several phrases can stand at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of a sentence. Initial position gives the relationship a framing role and triggers inversion: I samband med lanseringen ordnar företaget ett seminarium. Later placement is often less marked: Företaget ordnar ett seminarium i samband med lanseringen. A comma is not normally inserted mechanically after every initial phrase; Swedish punctuation is generally lighter than English punctuation here.

Pronouns after these prepositions use object forms where Swedish distinguishes them: i förhållande till mig, i samband med henne, trots dem. Forms such as jag, hon, and de are subject forms and do not belong in those positions in careful standard Swedish.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Compressing and unpacking information

Formal Swedish often compresses a clause into a noun phrase. Compare på grund av att efterfrågan minskade (“because demand decreased”) with på grund av den minskade efterfrågan (“because of the reduced demand”). The second version is denser and common in reports. It contains a participle, minskade—a verb-derived form used here like an adjective. Dense noun phrases can be elegant, but several in succession may make prose bureaucratic. Unpack them into clauses when clarity improves.

Choosing the exact logical relation

At an advanced level, ask what you are actually claiming:

• reference or comparison: i förhållande till
• association in time or context: i samband med
• reason: på grund av
• consequence caused by something: till följd av
• relevant consideration: med tanke på
• concession: trots / trots att
• purpose: med sikte på

This matters especially in analytical writing. Saying that two events happened i samband med each other is cautious. Saying one happened till följd av the other asserts causation. The grammatical choice therefore carries an evidential and rhetorical commitment.

Reference across sentences

Swedish formal prose frequently combines a full statement with an anaphoric expression—a phrase that points back to earlier content:

• Försöket gav inget entydigt resultat. Trots detta fortsatte forskarna.
• Kommunen har ändrat reglerna. I samband med detta införs en ny blankett.
• Kostnaderna har ökat kraftigt. Med tanke på detta ses budgeten över.

Detta is common in formal writing. In less formal Swedish, det may sound more natural, depending on the expression and sentence. Avoid using such connectors without a clear antecedent—that is, a clear earlier fact for detta to refer to.

Avoiding preposition-heavy prose

Long strings of abstract phrases can hide the main action: I samband med genomförandet av förändringen ... may sometimes become the clearer När förändringen genomförs ... (“When the change is implemented ...”). A C1 writer should be able both to understand compressed institutional language and to choose a direct clause when it serves the reader better.

Practice Tips

1. Learn frames, not isolated translations. Make cards with a blank in the whole expression: i förhållande ___, i samband ___, med tanke ___. Add one typical noun phrase to each card.
2. Rewrite nouns as clauses and clauses as nouns. Alternate trots regnet with trots att det regnade, and med tanke på kostnaden with med tanke på att det är dyrt. This trains the structural choice rather than only vocabulary.
3. Classify real examples by logical relationship. In Swedish news or workplace texts, mark each phrase as comparison, connection, cause, consideration, concession, or purpose. Then ask whether a shorter expression would preserve the meaning and register.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Prepositions — provides the core meanings and sentence patterns on which these fixed expressions build.