Questions & Answers about Jag tycker att siffran är låg.
What is the nuance of tycker here? Is it just the same as English think?
Tycker expresses an opinion, often based on some kind of reasoning or evaluation.
In English, I think the number is low can mean:
- an opinion, or
- a guess / belief about something you’re not sure of.
In Swedish:
- tycker = I think / I’m of the opinion that…
- tror = I believe / I guess / I think (but I’m not sure).
So Jag tycker att siffran är låg is clearly about an opinion or assessment, not a guess. You would not normally use tror here.
What does att do in this sentence? Is it like English that, and can I leave it out?
Yes, att here works like English that in I think that the number is low. It introduces a subordinate clause (att siffran är låg).
- With att: Jag tycker att siffran är låg.
- Without att: Jag tycker siffran är låg.
In everyday spoken Swedish, many people do drop att in sentences like this, and Jag tycker siffran är låg is common and natural.
However:
- In careful or formal writing, att is usually kept.
- As a learner, it’s safer to use att until you feel comfortable with when natives drop it.