Breakdown of Skandalen lär förstöra hela hans karriär.
hans
his
hel
whole
karriären
the career
förstöra
to destroy
lär
is said to / is likely to
skandalen
the scandal
Questions & Answers about Skandalen lär förstöra hela hans karriär.
How is lär different from saying kommer att (will)?
While kommer att states a future event as a guaranteed fact, lär introduces probability or hearsay. It means 'is likely to' or 'is said to'. Here, the speaker is making a strong prediction based on the circumstances, so it translates perfectly to 'is likely to destroy'.
Is lär related to the verb att lära (to learn/teach)?
Historically yes, but as a modal verb expressing probability, it acts as its own independent word. It is almost exclusively used in this present tense form (lär) and, just like other modal verbs such as kan or måste, it is followed directly by the infinitive of the main verb without att (in this case, förstöra).
Why is the word order hela hans karriär instead of hans hela karriär (his whole career)?
In Swedish, the adjective hela (whole/entire) almost always comes before the possessive pronoun, which is the opposite of English. You will also see this in common everyday phrases like hela mitt liv (my whole life).
Why doesn't karriär have a definite ending, since we are talking about his specific career?
This is a great reminder of a core rule: any noun that directly follows a possessive pronoun like hans (his) must take the indefinite form, even though the meaning is definite. That is why it is hans karriär and never hans karriären.
Could I use the Swedish verb ruinera instead of förstöra to say 'ruin'?
No, that is a common trap for English speakers! While ruinera sounds exactly like 'ruin', it is strictly used for financial ruin, such as bankrupting someone. When talking about destroying a career, an object, or an experience, you should always use förstöra.
Learn Skandalen lär förstöra hela hans karriär and more in Swedish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free