däremot

On the Other Hand

Level 3

däremot = on the other hand / however. It's used to show contrast between two ideas.

How It Works

Däremot is a versatile adverb used to present a contrasting point or fact. It translates to 'on the other hand', 'in contrast', or 'however'.

Key Usage Points:

  • Contrast: Its main function is to set up a contrast with something that was just mentioned.
  • Word Order: As an adverb, däremot affects the word order of the clause. When it is placed at the beginning of a main clause, it takes the first position (the 'foundation'), and the verb must come in the second position. This is a key example of the V2 inversion rule.
    - Structure: Däremot + Verb + Subject + ...

Comparison with 'men' (but):
While both däremot and men express contrast, they function differently grammatically.

  • men is a conjunction. It connects two clauses without occupying the second clause's first constituent position. The next clause can start with a subject, or with another constituent and inversion: men i dag har vi roligt.
    - Vädret var dåligt, men vi hade roligt. (The weather was bad, but we had fun.)
  • däremot is an adverb. When it starts the clause, it forces inversion (Verb + Subject).
    - Vädret var dåligt. Däremot hade vi roligt. (The weather was bad. However, we had fun.)

Däremot can also follow the contrasted phrase, as in Min hemstad däremot är ganska liten, or occur in the middle of the clause. It is often useful for contrasting advantages, qualities, or alternatives. For a specifically “despite that” relation, ändå or dock may express the intended point more directly.

Examples (4)

  1. Jag gillar inte vintern. Däremot älskar jag sommaren.

    I don't like the winter. On the other hand, I love the summer.

    Word by Word: I like not the winter. On the other hand love I the summer.

  2. Stockholm är en stor stad. Min hemstad, däremot, är ganska liten.

    Stockholm is a big city. My hometown, on the other hand, is quite small.

    Word by Word: Stockholm is a big city. My hometown, on the other hand, is rather small.

    Here däremot is attached to the contrasted subject Min hemstad. It does not occupy an extra independent clause position; är still follows the subject phrase.

  3. Han pratar inte mycket. Däremot lyssnar han alltid noga.

    He doesn't talk much. However, he always listens carefully.

    Word by Word: He talks not much. On the other hand listens he always carefully.

  4. Mötet var långt, men det var däremot väldigt produktivt.

    The meeting was long, but on the other hand it was very productive.

    Word by Word: The meeting was long, but it was on the other hand very productive.

    Here, 'däremot' is placed after the verb in a clause that starts with 'men', adding extra emphasis to the contrast.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to invert the verb and subject after 'däremot' at the start of a clause.

    Svenska är svårt. Däremot jag tycker det är roligt.
    Svenska är svårt. Däremot tycker jag att det är roligt.

    When däremot is the first constituent of a normal main-clause statement, place finite tycker next, before jag. The conjunction men itself does not fill that constituent position. Separate prefocal or parenthetical uses of contrast words have different structures.

How It Connects

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däremotLevel 3On the Other Hand

Learn This First

To use 'däremot' correctly, you need to understand how Swedish sentence structure works, particularly the V2 rule, as this adverb is frequently used in the first position for emphasis. It also helps to be familiar with basic contrastive conjunctions like 'men' to understand the nuance 'däremot' adds to a sentence.

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däremot