Breakdown of Ingen antar han är oskyldig.
vara
to be
han
he
ingen
no, none (en-word)
oskyldig
innocent
anta
assume
Questions & Answers about Ingen antar han är oskyldig.
Where is the word for 'that' in this sentence?
It has been left out! In Swedish, just like in English, you can often drop the word att (that) when it connects a main clause to an object clause. The full sentence would be Ingen antar att han är oskyldig.
Does dropping att change the word order in the second half of the sentence?
No, the word order stays exactly the same as if att were still there. The second part is still treated as a subordinate clause. This means if you added a sentence adverb like inte (not), it would still go before the verb: Ingen antar han inte är oskyldig (No one assumes he is not innocent).
What does skyldig mean on its own, without the o- prefix?
skyldig means guilty, or sometimes indebted (owing money). By adding the prefix o-, which works like the English prefixes un- or in-, you get oskyldig, meaning innocent.
Could I use tror instead of antar here?
Yes, you could say Ingen tror han är oskyldig (No one thinks or believes he is innocent). The word antar specifically means assumes or supposes, which gives the sentence a slightly more analytical tone than tror.
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