Breakdown of Vi trodde att berättelsen antagligen var påhittad.
vara
to be
vi
we
tro
to believe
att
that
berättelsen
the story
antagligen
probably (presumably)
påhittad
made up
Questions & Answers about Vi trodde att berättelsen antagligen var påhittad.
Why is the verb var in the past tense if the story is still considered made up today?
In Swedish, when the main reporting verb is in the past tense (like trodde), the verb in the att-clause usually shifts to the past tense too. This is called backshifting. So even if the story is still a fiction right now, we use var to match the past tense of trodde.
Why is the adverb antagligen placed before the verb var?
Because it is inside a subordinate clause. The clause starts with att (that). In Swedish, there is a strict rule (often called the BIFF rule) stating that in subordinate clauses, sentence adverbs like antagligen (probably) or inte (not) must go before the conjugated verb. If this were a simple main clause, it would follow the normal order: berättelsen var antagligen påhittad.
Where does the word påhittad come from, and why does it end in -d?
It comes from the phrasal verb hitta på (to make up or invent). Here, it acts as an adjective (specifically, a past participle) describing berättelsen. Since berättelsen (the story) is a singular en-word, the adjective takes the standard -d ending. If it described an ett-word, it would end in -t (påhittat).
Can I leave out the word att in this sentence, like I can leave out 'that' in English?
Yes, you can! In everyday spoken Swedish, it is very common to drop att after verbs of thinking or saying, just like in English. You could absolutely say: Vi trodde berättelsen antagligen var påhittad. Keeping att is perfectly fine though, and is the standard choice in writing.
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