Breakdown of Isbjörnen som följer oss är hungrig, trots att den åt igår.
vara
to be
den
it (common)
igår
yesterday
äta
to eat
oss
us
hungrig
hungry
följa
to follow
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
trots att
although, in spite of the fact that
isbjörnen
the polar bear
Questions & Answers about Isbjörnen som följer oss är hungrig, trots att den åt igår.
Why does the sentence use trots att instead of även om?
Both can translate to 'even though', but trots att (despite that) is used specifically for factual situations that are happening or have already happened (the bear actually ate yesterday). Även om can be used for facts too, but is also used for hypothetical situations ('even if').
Does trots att trigger any special word order here?
Yes, because att introduces a subordinate clause. This means the subject must come directly after it (den åt). More importantly, if you wanted to add a sentence adverb like inte (not), it would have to go before the verb because of the BIFF rule: trots att den inte åt igår.
Why is the polar bear referred to as den instead of han or hon?
In Swedish, animals are usually referred to by the pronoun that matches their noun's grammatical gender, rather than their biological sex. Because isbjörn is an en-word (en isbjörn, isbjörnen), we use den (it). If it were an ett-word animal like ett lejon (a lion), we would use det.
Why is the main verb är separated from its subject isbjörnen?
The core of the main clause is simply Isbjörnen är hungrig. However, the relative clause som följer oss (that follows us) belongs to the polar bear, so it must be placed directly after it. This briefly interrupts the main clause, which works exactly the same way in English.
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