Questions & Answers about Att de aldrig sover!
Why does this sentence start with att when there is no main clause before it?
In Swedish, you can use an independent att-clause (a clause starting with 'that' standing all on its own) to express strong emotions like astonishment, frustration, or disbelief. It is the Swedish equivalent of saying 'To think that...' or 'The fact that...' in English.
Why is the word order aldrig sover instead of sover aldrig?
Because this is technically an att-clause, it follows subordinate clause word order. According to the BIFF rule, sentence adverbs like aldrig (never) must be placed before the conjugated verb (sover) in a subordinate clause. If this were a regular main clause statement, it would be De sover aldrig.
Can I use other sentence adverbs besides aldrig in this type of exclamation?
Absolutely! You will very frequently see inte or alltid used in exactly the same way to express frustration. For example, Att du inte lyssnar! (To think that you don't listen!) or Att de alltid klagar! (To think that they always complain!).
How should I pronounce de in this sentence?
Just like in regular statements, the pronoun de is almost always pronounced as dom in everyday spoken Swedish, even when used in a dramatic exclamation like this one.