trots att

Despite That

Level 2

Use 'trots att' to say 'despite the fact that' or 'although', connecting an action to a contrasting situation.

How It Works

'Trots att' translates to 'despite the fact that' or 'although'. It's used to connect two clauses where one presents an obstacle or a surprising contrast to the other.

It is a subordinating conjunction (subjunktion), which means it introduces a subordinate clause (bisats). In the sentence pattern taught here it is subordinate to a main clause and uses subordinate order. A fragment can still occur as a reply in context.

There are two main structures:

1. Main Clause + trots att + Subordinate Clause
In this pattern, the main clause comes first, followed by 'trots att' and the subordinate clause.

  • Jag gick på promenad trots att det regnade. (I went for a walk despite the fact that it was raining.)

2. Trots att + Subordinate Clause, + Main Clause (with V2 inversion)
You can also start the sentence with the 'trots att' clause for emphasis. When you do this, the entire subordinate clause acts as the first element of the sentence, so the finite verb follows that initial clause, before the subject (V2-inversion).

  • Trots att det regnade, gick jag på promenad. (Despite the fact that it was raining, I went for a walk.)

Remember that subordinate clauses follow the BIFF rule, meaning sentence adverbs like 'inte' (not) come before the verb.

  • ...trots att han inte var hungrig. (...despite the fact that he was not hungry.)

Examples (4)

  1. Jag gick ut och sprang trots att det regnade.

    I went out for a run despite the fact that it was raining.

    Word by Word: I went out and ran despite that it rained.

  2. Trots att han var trött, fortsatte han att arbeta.

    Although he was tired, he continued to work.

    Word by Word: Despite that he was tired, continued he to work.

    The entire initial trots att-clause occupies the main clause’s first constituent position. Finite fortsatte therefore follows it, before han: this is V2 across the whole main clause, not a separate verb-first question.

  3. Hon köpte bilen trots att hon inte hade råd.

    She bought the car even though she couldn't afford it.

    Word by Word: She bought the car despite that she not had means.

    Notice the word order in the subordinate clause: the adverb 'inte' comes before the verb 'hade'. This follows the BIFF rule.

  4. Vi hade en trevlig picknick trots att myggorna var irriterande.

    We had a nice picnic despite the fact that the mosquitoes were annoying.

    Word by Word: We had a nice picnic despite that the-mosquitoes were annoying.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'trots att' (conjunction) with 'trots' (preposition).

    Jag gick ut trots att regnet.
    Jag gick ut trots regnet.

    'Trots att' must be followed by a full clause (with a subject and a verb), like '...trots att det regnade'. The preposition trots is followed by a noun or noun phrase, like '...trots regnet'.

  • Using main clause word order after 'trots att'.

    Han kom till festen trots att han hade inte tid.
    Han kom till festen trots att han inte hade tid.

    The clause after 'trots att' is a subordinate clause and must follow the BIFF rule. This means sentence adverbs like 'inte' must come before the finite verb ('hade').

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

trots attLevel 2Despite That

Learn This First

To use "trots att" correctly, you need to understand how subordinate clauses are structured in Swedish, particularly how word order changes compared to main clauses. It is also helpful to be familiar with simpler ways to express contrast, like "fastän" or "men".

Words in This Pattern

trots