Breakdown of Jag trodde att du inte bor här. – Jo, jag bor absolut här.
jag
I
du
you (singular)
här
here
inte
not
bo
to live
tro
to believe
att
that
jo
yes (in response to a negative)
absolut
absolutely
Questions & Answers about Jag trodde att du inte bor här. – Jo, jag bor absolut här.
Why does the second speaker use jo instead of ja for "yes"?
Because the first person made a negative statement (inte bor här). In Swedish, whenever you contradict a negative question or statement to say "Yes, I actually do," you must use jo instead of ja.
Why is inte placed before the verb bor in the first sentence?
Because att du inte bor här is a subordinate clause (a secondary part of the sentence introduced by att). In Swedish subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like inte must come before the verb. If it were a regular standalone sentence, it would be du bor inte här.
Why does absolut come after the verb bor in the reply, when inte came before it earlier?
The reply jag bor absolut här is a main clause, not a subordinate clause. In a normal main clause, adverbs like absolut always come immediately after the verb.
The first person says trodde (past tense) but bor (present tense). Is it normal to mix tenses like this?
Yes, it is perfectly normal! The speaker is talking about what they previously thought in the past (trodde) regarding a living situation that is happening right now in the present (bor).
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