Word
Jag undrar vilken baktanke han har.
Meaning
I wonder what ulterior motive he has.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Questions & Answers about Jag undrar vilken baktanke han har.
Why does the Swedish sentence use vilken instead of vad when the English translation is 'what'?
When 'what' modifies a noun directly (like 'what motive' or 'what time'), Swedish uses vilken (en-words), vilket (ett-words), or vilka (plural). You only use vad when 'what' stands alone as a pronoun, as in Vad är hans baktanke? (What is his ulterior motive?).
What is the literal meaning of baktanke?
It is a compound of bak (behind/back) and tanke (thought). Translating literally to 'back-thought', it is the standard Swedish term for an 'ulterior motive' or 'hidden agenda'.
Why is the word order at the end of the sentence han har instead of har han?
Because vilken baktanke han har is an indirect question, which functions as a subordinate clause. In Swedish subordinate clauses, the subject (han) must come before the verb (har). If it were a standalone direct question, you would invert them: Vilken baktanke har han?
Since we are studying exclamations with sådan, could I use it here instead of vilken?
Not in this exact sentence, because Jag undrar (I wonder) sets up an indirect question, which requires a question word like vilken. However, if you drop Jag undrar to make an exclamation, you can use it! You could exclaim En sådan baktanke han har! (Such an ulterior motive he has!) or Vilken baktanke han har! (What an ulterior motive he has!).