Questions & Answers about Om jag var rasande? Jag var helt förtvivlad.
Why does the first sentence start with om? 'If I was furious' doesn't make sense on its own in English.
This is an echo response. By repeating the previous question as a subordinate clause starting with om (if), the speaker is implying 'Are you asking if I was furious?'. It is a rhetorical device used to validate and emphasize the question before escalating or clarifying the emotion in the next sentence.
Since Om jag var rasande? ends in a question mark, shouldn't the verb come before the subject like in a normal question?
No, because it is grammatically a subordinate clause. The main clause (something like 'Are you asking...') is implied but left out. In Swedish subordinate clauses, the subject (jag) always comes before the verb (var).
Why doesn't the adjective rasande have a standard adjective ending to agree with the subject?
Rasande is actually a present participle formed from the verb rasa. When present participles are used as adjectives, they always end in -ande or -ende and never change their form to match gender or plural nouns.
Does the second sentence mean they were distraught instead of being furious?
Usually, this isolated om-structure implies 'Not only that, but even more so!' or 'That is an understatement!'. The speaker is acknowledging the anger but emphasizing that the overwhelming feeling was actually despair. The word helt (completely) adds to this dramatic intensity.