Breakdown of Seismologen undersöker kratern, varför han tror att magman är farlig.
vara
to be
han
he
tro
to believe
att
that
Questions & Answers about Seismologen undersöker kratern, varför han tror att magman är farlig.
How does varför work in this sentence? Doesn't it usually mean 'why' in a question?
Yes, varför is usually the question word 'why'. However, in this advanced structure, it acts as a consecutive relative adverb meaning 'which is why' or 'and therefore'. It connects the two clauses to show that his belief about the magma is a direct logical consequence of what he is seeing while examining the crater.
Why isn't the verb inverted after varför? I learned that question words trigger verb-second (V2) word order.
When varför is used as a relative adverb to connect clauses like this, it does not act as a question word. It introduces a relative clause that uses subordinate word order, meaning the subject comes directly before the verb. This is why we see the straight order han tror instead of the inverted tror han that a direct question would require.
Why is tror used instead of tycker for 'thinks' here?
In Swedish, tror is used when you are expressing a belief about a fact that can be objectively true or false (the magma either is or isn't dangerous). Tycker is used for personal opinions or subjective feelings. Since the seismologist is making a factual, scientific assessment rather than stating a personal preference, tror is the correct verb.
What is the exact meaning of undersöker, and how is it different from just looking at the crater?