Learn Hardcore Swedish: Hennes chef säger att allt beror på hur vi arbetar i företaget. - Her boss says that everything depends on how we work in the company.

Here att is the conjunction meaning that; it introduces the clause att allt beror på …. It is not the infinitive att (as in att arbeta = to work). Both are spelled the same; in casual speech many Swedes pronounce this att like a short “å”.

Why is it hur vi arbetar and not hur arbetar vi?

Because hur vi arbetar is an embedded (indirect) question. In Swedish subordinate clauses you do not use V2 word order; the verb follows the subject: hur vi arbetar. Direct questions take V2: Hur arbetar vi?

Where would inte go in these subordinate clauses?

In subordinate clauses introduced by att or hur, sentence adverbs like inte come before the finite verb:

att vi inte arbetar
hur vi inte arbetar In a main clause they follow the finite verb: Vi arbetar inte.

What does bero på mean and how does it inflect?

bero på is a fixed verb + preposition meaning depend on. It always takes på for this meaning. Forms:

Present: beror på
Past: berodde på
Supine: berott på Contrast: adjectival beroende av (= dependent on), but the verb is bero på.

Could I use Det beror på as a standalone answer?

Yes. Det beror på is a very common standalone reply meaning It depends. In the sentence here, allt beror på means everything depends on what follows.

Why is it hennes chef and not sin chef?

sin/sitt/sina is reflexive and must refer to the subject of the same clause. It cannot be used inside the subject noun phrase itself. Since Hennes chef is the subject here, sin would have no valid antecedent and Sin chef säger … is ungrammatical. Use hennes chef.

Why not Hennes chefen?

With a possessive determiner (min, din, hans, hennes, vår, er, deras), Swedish does not add the definite suffix. So you say hennes chef, not hennes chefen. The possessive already makes it definite/specific.

Why is vi used inside the reported speech? Could I use man, ni, or de instead?

Pronouns in indirect speech reflect the original speaker’s viewpoint. The boss likely included the group, so vi fits. Alternatives depend on meaning:

man = one/people in general: hur man arbetar
ni = you (plural), addressing another group
de = they, about a third group Pick the pronoun that matches who the boss meant.

Why i företaget instead of på företaget?

Both occur, but nuance differs:

i företaget = within the company (internal processes/structure)
på företaget = at the company as a place of work Here i highlights how things are done inside the organization.

Why is it företaget with -et?

Because företag is an ett-word: ett företag (a company) → företaget (the company). Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix in the singular.

Could I use jobbar instead of arbetar?

Yes. jobba is more colloquial and very common; arbeta is a bit more formal. Both are fine here: hur vi jobbar / hur vi arbetar.

Do the tenses in the embedded clause have to match säger?

Not strictly, but they usually align. Present report → present inside: säger att allt beror … hur vi arbetar. Past report typically shifts to past: sa (sade) att allt berodde … hur vi arbetade. If the statement is a timeless truth, present in the embedded clause can still be used.

What does allt contribute, and how is it different from allting or alltihop?

allt is the neuter pronoun everything. allting is a near-synonym. alltihop/alltihopa means the whole lot/the entirety and is more colloquial.

Any pronunciation tips for tricky words like chef and säger?

chef starts with the Swedish sj-sound; IPA [ɧeːf].
säger is commonly [ˈsɛjər] or [ˈsæjər]; past sa/sade is [saː]/[ˈsɑːdɛ].
Many speakers reduce att (the conjunction) to a short “å” sound in casual speech.