Questions & Answers about Hon tror att han var otrogen.
Why is tror used here for "believes" instead of tycker or tänker?
Tror is used when you think or believe something is true but you do not know for a fact. Tycker is for expressing a personal opinion (like whether a movie is good), and tänker is for the active process of thinking. Because she suspects he cheated but is not absolutely certain, tror is the correct choice.
Do I have to include att to connect the two parts of the sentence?
In formal writing, yes. Att works like the English word "that" to introduce indirect speech or thoughts. In relaxed spoken Swedish, people often drop it, just like we say "She believes he was unfaithful" in English. But as a learner, keeping att helps you clearly spot the subordinate clause.
If she was thinking about herself instead of him, how would the pronouns shift in indirect speech?
If her original direct thought was "I was unfaithful" (Jag var otrogen), you must shift the pronoun to match the main subject when reporting it. The sentence would become Hon tror att hon var otrogen (She believes that she was unfaithful). Since her thought here is about a different person, han remains han.
Does the word otrogen have a connection to the verb tror?
Yes! Tror means to believe or trust. The word trogen means faithful or loyal. By adding the prefix o- (which means "un-" or "not"), you get otrogen, meaning unfaithful.
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