Three Ways to Say "Think"
In English, we use "to think" for opinions, beliefs, and the mental process of using our brains. Swedish splits these meanings into three distinct verbs: tycker, tror, and tänker.
Tycker: Subjective Opinions
Use tycker to express a subjective opinion or personal taste based on your own experience.
To ask what someone thinks about something, use the preposition om.
The related noun for "opinion" is en åsikt.
Tror: Beliefs and Guesses
Use tror when making a guess, stating a belief, or talking about something you think is a fact but are not entirely sure of.
Just like in English, use tror with the preposition på to mean "believe in."
Tänker: The Cognitive Process
Use tänker for the active, mental process of thinking or pondering.
Agreement and Connections
To express that people agree on something, use the adjective överens (in agreement). To link two subjects or descriptions with "both ... and," use både ... och.
