Breakdown of Ibland saknar hon barndomen då hon kände sig trygg.
hon
she
ibland
sometimes
känna sig
to feel (emotions, sensations)
trygg
safe
sakna
to miss (feel the absence of)
barndomen
the childhood
då
when (relative)
Questions & Answers about Ibland saknar hon barndomen då hon kände sig trygg.
Why use då for "when" here instead of när?
While när is the most common word for "when" in questions or general time clauses, då is used here as a relative adverb. It points directly back to a specific time or period that was just mentioned in the sentence, which in this case is barndomen (the childhood).
Why is it kände sig instead of just kände?
In Swedish, to express how you feel inside (like feeling happy, sad, or safe), you use the reflexive verb känna sig. If you just use känna without sig, it usually means to physically feel an object or to know a person.
Could I use säker instead of trygg for "safe"?
Not quite. Trygg describes a feeling of emotional comfort, warmth, and security, which fits a childhood memory perfectly. Säker is used more for physical safety from a literal danger, or to express that you are certain about a fact.
Why is the word order Ibland saknar hon instead of Ibland hon saknar?
This is a great reminder of the Swedish V2 rule. The verb saknar (misses) must be the second piece of information in the main clause. Because the time word Ibland (sometimes) takes the first position, the subject hon (she) gets pushed to the third spot right after the verb.
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