Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen ska komma snart.

Breakdown of Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen ska komma snart.

hon
she
ska
will
komma
to come
att
that
hoppas
to hope
snart
soon
löneförhöjningen
the pay raise

Questions & Answers about Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen ska komma snart.

Why does hoppas end in -s?

Because hoppas is a deponent verb in Swedish. That means it looks like a passive verb because of the -s, but it actually has an active meaning: to hope.

So:

  • jag hoppas = I hope
  • hon hoppas = she hopes
  • vi hoppas = we hope

There is no normal modern verb hoppa meaning to hope.
(hoppa does exist, but it means to jump.)


Why is att used here?

Att introduces a subordinate clause and usually means that.

So:

  • Hon hoppas att ... = She hopes that ...

In English, that is often optional. Swedish can sometimes omit att too, especially in speech, but keeping it is very common and usually safest for learners.

So this sentence is very standard:

  • Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen ska komma snart.

Why does Swedish use ska komma here instead of just kommer?

Ska + infinitive often expresses something expected, planned, or future.

So ska komma here means something like:

  • is supposed to come
  • is expected to come
  • will come

In this sentence, it suggests that the pay raise is something she expects or hopes will happen soon.

You could also hear:

  • Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen kommer snart.

That is also natural. It can sound a little more direct or neutral: she hopes the raise comes soon.
Using ska often adds a sense of expectation or upcoming event.


What is löneförhöjningen made of?

It is a compound noun:

  • lön = salary, pay
  • löne- = salary/pay as the first part of a compound
  • förhöjning = increase, raising
  • -en = the (definite singular ending)

So:

  • löneförhöjning = pay raise / salary increase
  • löneförhöjningen = the pay raise / the salary increase

Swedish makes compounds very freely, so long words like this are very common.


Why is there no separate word for the before löneförhöjningen?

Because Swedish often puts the definite article at the end of the noun instead of using a separate word.

Compare:

  • en löneförhöjning = a pay raise
  • löneförhöjningen = the pay raise

The ending -en is doing the job of English the.

If there is an adjective, Swedish usually uses both a separate article and the ending:

  • den nya löneförhöjningen = the new pay raise

Why is löneförhöjningen definite here?

The definite form suggests a specific pay raise that she has in mind.

So:

  • Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen ska komma snart
    = she is hoping for the pay raise, probably one that has been discussed or expected

Compare with the indefinite form:

  • Hon hoppas att en löneförhöjning ska komma snart
    = she hopes a pay raise will come soon

That sounds less specific and more like she just wants some kind of raise.


Is the word order after att normal?

Yes. In the subordinate clause, the order is:

So here:

  • att
  • löneförhöjningen
  • ska
  • komma
  • snart

This is normal Swedish subordinate-clause word order.

A useful contrast:

  • Main clause: Hon ska komma snart.
  • Subordinate clause: ... att hon ska komma snart.

With sentence adverbs like inte, Swedish changes position in subordinate clauses:

  • Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen inte ska komma för sent.

So learning subordinate word order is important.


Can snart go in a different position?

Yes, but the meaning or emphasis can shift slightly.

Most neutral here:

  • Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen ska komma snart.

Also possible:

  • Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen snart ska komma.

That can sound a bit more formal or slightly more focused on soon.

For learners, the version with snart at the end is a very safe and natural choice.


Could you also say Hon hoppas att löneförhöjningen kommer snart?

Yes. That is also a good Swedish sentence.

Very roughly:

  • ... ska komma snart = she hopes it is going to come / is expected to come soon
  • ... kommer snart = she hopes it comes soon / will come soon

In many everyday situations, both work.
The version with ska often feels a little more like there is an expected future event.


Does komma literally mean come here?

Yes, but Swedish uses komma in situations where English might say:

  • come
  • arrive
  • be given
  • take effect

So löneförhöjningen ska komma snart does not mean the pay raise is physically moving somewhere. It means the raise is expected to happen, be granted, or start soon.

That kind of use of komma is very common in Swedish.


Why is it Hon hoppas, not something different for she hopes?

In Swedish present tense, the verb form is the same for all persons.

So:

  • jag hoppas = I hope
  • du hoppas = you hope
  • hon hoppas = she hopes
  • vi hoppas = we hope

Unlike English, Swedish does not add a special -s only for he/she/it.
The form hoppas stays the same.

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