Breakdown of Författaren hoppas ledtråden ska lura oss.
ska
will
oss
us
författaren
the author
hoppas
to hope
Questions & Answers about Författaren hoppas ledtråden ska lura oss.
Where is the word for 'that' in this sentence?
It has been left out! After verbs expressing thoughts or feelings, like hoppas (hopes), you can often drop the subjunction att (that). The sentence could just as correctly be written as Författaren hoppas att ledtråden ska lura oss. Leaving it out is very common in everyday Swedish, just like in English.
Why does hoppas end in an 's'? Does that make it a passive verb?
No, it is not passive here. Hoppas is a deponent verb. This means it always ends in an -s in all its forms, but it has a normal active meaning. You have likely seen other verbs like this in earlier lessons, such as minnas (to remember) or trivas (to thrive/enjoy).
What does the compound word ledtråden literally mean?
Ledtråden means 'the clue' and is made up of led (related to leda, meaning to lead) and tråd (thread). So a clue in Swedish is literally a 'leading thread'. The -en at the end makes it definite.
Could we use kommer att lura instead of ska lura here?
Yes, but ska works very well in this context because it often implies intention or a plan. Since the author deliberately created the clue with the intention of tricking the reader, ska lura captures that sense of purpose perfectly.