Questions & Answers about De fick se hur spionen infiltrerade operationen.
Why use fick se instead of just såg (saw)?
Using få plus a perception verb like se emphasizes the onset of the action or having the opportunity to experience it. While de såg just means "they saw", de fick se adds the nuance of "they got to see", "they caught sight of", or "they were permitted to see".
Could fick se mean they were forced to see it, since få sometimes implies obligation?
No. When få pairs with bare infinitives of perception or knowledge (like se, höra, or veta), it means acquiring the knowledge or getting the chance (like "get to see" or "find out"). To say they were forced to see it, you would use a verb like tvingades (were forced) or the phrase fick lov att.
Why doesn't the verb come directly after hur?
Because hur spionen infiltrerade operationen is a subordinate clause acting as an indirect question. In Swedish subordinate clauses, the subject (spionen) must come before the verb (infiltrerade). If it were a standalone direct question, the verb would come right after the question word: Hur infiltrerade spionen operationen?
If we wanted to make the subordinate clause negative ("how the spy did not infiltrate"), where would inte go?