Breakdown of Läkaren bör ha sett fotspåret och fingeravtrycket.
och
and
ha
to have
se
to see
läkaren
the doctor
böra
should, ought to
fingeravtrycket
the fingerprint
fotspåret
the footprint
Questions & Answers about Läkaren bör ha sett fotspåret och fingeravtrycket.
Does bör ha sett mean "it's highly likely they saw it" or "they were supposed to see it but didn't"?
It can actually mean both, depending on the context! In this lesson, it expresses a logical deduction: "It is highly probable that the doctor saw it." However, just like "ought to have seen" in English, it can also express a failed expectation or duty, meaning they missed the clues. You have to rely on the wider context to know which is meant.
How does the certainty of bör ha sett compare to måste ha sett?
Bör ha sett is slightly weaker than måste ha sett (must have seen). If you use måste, you are virtually 100% certain based on the evidence. If you use bör, you are saying it is the most logical assumption or highly expected, but it leaves a tiny bit of room for doubt.
Why is the verb sett rather than the past tense såg?
When making deductions about the past using modal verbs, you use ha (to have) followed by the supine form of the main verb. Sett is the supine of att se (to see). You cannot use the simple past tense (såg) after ha.
How do we know that fotspåret and fingeravtrycket take the -et definite ending?
The gender of a Swedish compound noun is always determined by its final component. Since the root words ett spår (a track or trail) and ett avtryck (an imprint or impression) are both neuter, the compound words fotspår and fingeravtryck are also ett words and take the -et suffix in the definite form.
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