Questions & Answers about Att de inte ens skäms!
Why does this sentence start with Att if there is no main clause before it?
In Swedish, you can use an independent att-clause to express strong emotion, like frustration, shock, or indignation. It implies a dropped main clause like 'Jag kan inte fatta...' (I can't believe...). Here, it emphasizes the speaker's disbelief.
Why do inte and ens come before the verb skäms?
Even though this sentence stands alone, it is still grammatically a subordinate clause because it starts with att. Therefore, it follows the BIFF rule, meaning sentence adverbs like inte and ens must be placed before the conjugated verb. A standard main clause would be 'De skäms inte ens'.
Could you say ens inte instead of inte ens?
No, inte ens is a fixed pairing that translates directly to 'not even'. The negative word must come first to negate the emphasizing adverb, just like it does in English.
Why does the verb skäms end in an 's'? Is this a passive construction?
No, skäms is a deponent verb. These are verbs that always end in an 's' but carry an active, rather than passive, meaning. You have likely seen this before with everyday verbs like hoppas (to hope) or trivs (to enjoy being somewhere).