Learn Hardcore Swedish: Efter varje träning känner hon sig stark och tror att hon kan vinna lika ofta som de andra. - After each practice she feels strong and thinks that she can win as often as the others.

känna alone = to feel (physically), to sense, or to know (a person/place):
- Jag känner henne. = I know her.
- Jag känner smärta. = I feel pain.
känna sig + adjective/adverb = to feel (in a state):
- Jag känner mig trött. = I feel tired.
- Hon känner sig stark. = She feels strong.

Without sig, känner hon stark is ungrammatical in this meaning.

What exactly is the function of sig in känner hon sig?

Sig is the reflexive pronoun used for hon/han/den/det/de (“herself/himself/itself/themselves”) when the object refers back to the subject.

Subject: hon
Reflexive pronoun: sig (herself)

Hon känner sig stark literally is “She feels herself strong”, which idiomatically means “She feels strong”.

For jag/du/vi/ni you change the pronoun, but keep the pattern:

Jag känner mig stark.
Du känner dig stark.
Vi känner oss starka.
Ni känner er starka.
De känner sig starka.

Why is it varje träning and not varje träningar?

After varje (“every/each”), the noun must be singular in Swedish.

varje träning = every/each training session
varje dag = every day
varje elev = every student

Using a plural after varje (varje träningar) is ungrammatical. Even though in English you say “every training session” (singular) or “all trainings” (plural), Swedish keeps it singular with varje.

Why is there no article: why varje träning, not varje träningen?

Varje already makes the noun definite in meaning (“each specific X”), so Swedish does not add the definite ending or a separate article.

en träning = a training (indefinite)
träningen = the training (definite)
varje träning = every training (no article; form looks indefinite but meaning is specific)

Swedish never combines varje with a definite form:

varje träningen ❌
varje träning ✅

What’s the difference between känna and känna sig in general?

They are used quite differently:

känna (without sig)
- to know a person / be familiar with:
  - Jag känner honom. = I know him.
- to feel/sense something external or physical:
  - Jag känner smärta. = I feel pain.
  - Känner du kylan? = Do you feel the cold?
känna sig
- to feel in a certain state (emotionally/physically):
  - Jag känner mig glad. = I feel happy.
  - Hon känner sig stark. = She feels strong.
  - De känner sig trötta. = They feel tired.

So in this sentence it must be känner sig.

Why is it tror att hon kan vinna and not tycker att hon kan vinna?

Swedish distinguishes several “think” verbs:

tro = to believe, to think something is (probably) true, often about facts, future, or beliefs.
- Jag tror att hon kan vinna. = I believe she can win.
tycka = to think in the sense of having an opinion.
- Jag tycker att hon är bra. = I think she is good (my opinion).
tänka = to think (mentally), to plan, to intend.
- Jag tänker på henne. = I’m thinking about her.
- Jag tänker resa imorgon. = I plan to travel tomorrow.

In your sentence, she believes about her chances of winning, so tror is the natural choice.

Why is the word order att hon kan vinna and not att kan hon vinna?

In subordinate clauses (clauses introduced by att, om, när, etc.), Swedish does not use the V2 rule. The order is:

Subordinator (att) + subject + verb …

So:

att hon kan vinna ✅ (that she can win)
att kan hon vinna ❌ (looks like a direct question inside a subordinate clause)

Compare:

Main clause question: Kan hon vinna?
Subordinate clause: Jag tror att hon kan vinna.

What does the structure lika ofta som mean, exactly?

Lika … som … is a common pattern to express equality in comparisons:

lika + adjective/adverb + som + comparison
meaning “as … as …”

In this sentence:

lika ofta = as often
som de andra = as (often) as the others

Other examples:

Han är lika lång som jag. = He is as tall as I am.
Vi springer lika snabbt som ni. = We run as fast as you.
Hon jobbar lika mycket som de andra. = She works as much as the others.

Why de andra and not just andra?

andra alone = “other” in a more general sense.
- andra människor = other people (unspecified)
de andra = “the others”, i.e. the rest of the specific group that both speaker and listener know about.

In your sentence, de andra refers to the other people in her group/team/class, not just “other people in general”. That’s why the definite plural article de is used:

lika ofta som de andra (spelarna) = as often as the other (players).

How do you pronounce de in de andra, and why not dem?

In standard spoken Swedish, both de and dem are usually pronounced /dom/.

In writing, you must distinguish them grammatically:

de = subject form (“they”)
dem = object form (“them”)

In lika ofta som de andra:

de is the subject-like element in “the others”, so the correct written form is de.
Spoken, you will normally hear dom andra.

So: write de andra, say dom andra.

What is the nuance of kan vinna compared to just vinna?

Kan is a modal verb meaning “can / be able to / have the possibility to”.

att hon vinner lika ofta som de andra
– “that she wins as often as the others” (stating it as a fact).
att hon kan vinna lika ofta som de andra
– “that she can win as often as the others” (she believes she has the ability/opportunity to do so).

In the sentence, it’s about her confidence in her ability, so kan vinna fits well.

Is there any special reason to start with Efter varje träning instead of Hon känner sig stark efter varje träning?

Both versions are correct:

Efter varje träning känner hon sig stark...
Hon känner sig stark efter varje träning...

Putting Efter varje träning first:

follows the V2 rule (känner is second),
and adds a small emphasis on the time/circumstance – “After every training, she feels strong…”

Starting with Hon puts more neutral emphasis on her:

Hon känner sig stark efter varje träning…

It’s mainly a stylistic choice; both are natural Swedish.