Breakdown of Jag uppmanar klienten att sträcka armarna.
jag
I
att
to
armen
the arm
uppmana
to urge
klienten
the client
sträcka
to stretch
Questions & Answers about Jag uppmanar klienten att sträcka armarna.
How does the grammar for the indirect command work in this sentence?
We use the reporting verb uppmanar (urge) followed by the object receiving the command (klienten) and then att plus the infinitive verb (sträcka). This is a common and efficient way to report that you are telling someone to do something without needing a full clause with a new subject and a modal verb like ska.
Is uppmanar a strong command or a polite request?
It sits somewhere in the middle, meaning to "urge", "strongly encourage", or "call upon". It is more formal and forceful than a simple suggestion, but less bossy than an outright order like befaller (command). You will often hear it in professional, medical, or official settings.
Why does the Swedish say armarna (the arms) instead of "their arms"?
When it is completely obvious whose body parts are involved in an action, Swedish strongly prefers using the definite form (armarna) rather than a possessive pronoun (sina armar or deras armar). Because the client is doing the stretching, it is already clear whose arms they are!
I've seen the phrase sträcka på sig before. Why is it just sträcka here?
Att sträcka på sig is a reflexive verb that means "to stretch oneself" generally, like you might do right after waking up. Here, because we are naming a specific body part that is being stretched as a direct object (armarna), we drop the på sig and just use the base verb sträcka.
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