Breakdown of Presidenten utnämnde diplomaten till ambassadör.
presidenten
the president
diplomaten
the diplomat
utnämna
to appoint
till
as (in appointments)
ambassadören
the ambassador
Questions & Answers about Presidenten utnämnde diplomaten till ambassadör.
Why do we need the preposition till when the English translation just says "appointed the diplomat ambassador"?
In Swedish, verbs of appointment, election, or transformation (like utnämna 'to appoint', välja 'to elect', or göra 'to make') require till before the new title or state. Swedish doesn't allow two direct objects next to each other the way English does in "appointed the diplomat ambassador".
Why is ambassadör written without an article (en) when referring to a new job?
After till in these types of sentences, Swedish uses a "bare noun"—meaning no article (en or ett) and no definite ending. You are describing a change of status or category rather than pointing to a specific countable thing. Therefore, it is always till ambassadör, never till en ambassadör.
Does utnämna work for any kind of hiring or assigning a job?
No, utnämna is quite formal and is specifically used for appointing someone to a high-level official, political, or honorary position (like an ambassador, judge, or CEO). For standard hiring, you would use a verb like anställa (to hire/employ).
Could we change the word order and put the role before the person?
No, the word order here is strict. The person receiving the title is the direct object and must come directly after the verb (utnämnde diplomaten). The prepositional phrase showing the new role (till ambassadör) always comes after that.
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