Learn Swedish: Svaranden påstår att pengarna tillhör honom. - The defendant claims that the money belongs to him.

Reflexive pronouns like sig refer back to the subject of the same clause. In the subordinate clause (att pengarna tillhör honom), the subject is pengarna. Since we want to refer back to the subject of the main clause (Svaranden), we have to use a regular personal pronoun like honom.

How does this sentence relate to the formal pronoun denne?

In highly formal or legal Swedish, you might see denne used instead of honom here (...att pengarna tillhör denne). Using denne independently (meaning 'this person' or 'the latter') is a formal tool used to refer back to a recently mentioned person, helping to avoid ambiguity in complex sentences.

What kind of word is svaranden?

It is a present participle functioning as a noun. The base verb is svara (to answer), making the participle form svarande (answering, or 'respondent'). To make it definite ('the defendant'), the suffix -n is added to form svaranden.

Is there a difference between tillhör and the particle verb hör till?

Yes. Tillhör is inseparable and is typically used for direct ownership (like owning money or a house). Hör till is a separable particle verb that more often means 'belongs with' or 'is a part of' (for example, a lid belonging to a specific jar).