Breakdown of Efter att ha ringt polisen kan väktaren förhöras, varigenom sanningen kan avslöjas.
ringa
to call
ha
to have
att
to
kunna
to be able to, can
polisen
the police officer
efter
after
sanningen
the truth
avslöja
to reveal
förhöra
to interrogate
väktaren
the security guard
varigenom
whereby
Questions & Answers about Efter att ha ringt polisen kan väktaren förhöras, varigenom sanningen kan avslöjas.
How does varigenom function in this sentence, and what would be a less formal alternative?
Varigenom is a formal relative adverb meaning "whereby" or "through which." It connects the two clauses by using the outcome of the first action (the interrogation) as the method for the second action (revealing the truth). In everyday spoken Swedish, you would more likely hear genom vilket or a rephrased sentence using och på så sätt (and in that way).
Why do we say Efter att ha ringt instead of a regular clause like Efter att han har ringt?
Efter att ha followed by the supine (ringt) translates perfectly to "After having called." This infinitive phrase is an elegant way to compress the sentence. However, you can only use this structure if the implied subject of the first part is the exact same as the subject of the main clause (in this case, väktaren).
Why is the main clause word order kan väktaren and not väktaren kan?
This is the V2 (verb-second) rule at work. Even though the introductory phrase Efter att ha ringt polisen is long, it counts as a single block of information in the first position. The finite verb kan must therefore take the second position, pushing the subject väktaren into the third position.
What verb form is being used in förhöras and avslöjas?
These are passive infinitives. Because they follow the modal verb kan (can), the verbs must be in their infinitive form. By adding an -s to the end, they become passive: förhöra (to interrogate) becomes förhöras (to be interrogated), and avslöja (to reveal) becomes avslöjas (to be revealed).
Learn Efter att ha ringt polisen kan väktaren förhöras, varigenom sanningen kan avslöjas and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free