Working "as" something with "som"
When you want to state someone's role, job, or function, Swedish uses the word som (as). You will often see it paired with verbs like jobba (work), arbeta (work), and fungera (function or act).
One important difference from English: when stating a role or profession with som, Swedish drops the indefinite article (en or ett). You simply say "as volunteer" rather than "as a volunteer."
| She works as a volunteer at the hospital. | Hon jobbar som volontär på sjukhuset. |
| Who functions as coordinator for the project? | Vem fungerar som samordnare för projektet? |
Assignments and Tasks
In community groups, boards, and associations, people often take on specific responsibilities. The word for an assignment, position, or task is ett uppdrag. You can link this noun directly to a title using som to specify what the task entails.
| She takes over the assignment as coordinator. | Hon tar över uppdraget som samordnare. |
| The assignment as treasurer is difficult. | Uppdraget som kassör är svårt. |
"Som" for Context
You can also use som to explain the capacity in which someone is acting, such as stepping in as a substitute or helping out as a role model. Just like in English, this phrase can be placed at the end of the sentence, or moved to the very beginning to establish the context right away.
| I am supporting them as a mentor. | Jag stöttar dem som mentor. |
| As a role model, he must help us. | Som förebild måste han hjälpa oss. |