Breakdown of Sjukhuset vill befordra läkaren till överläkare.
vilja
to want to
sjukhuset
the hospital
läkaren
the doctor
till
as (in appointments)
befordra
to promote
överläkaren
the senior physician
Questions & Answers about Sjukhuset vill befordra läkaren till överläkare.
Why is there no article like "en" before överläkare?
This ties into the current lesson! When someone is appointed, transformed, or promoted to a new role, Swedish uses till followed by a bare noun (a noun without en or ett). You will see this pattern with verbs like befordra (promote), utse (appoint), and välja (elect).
Does the verb befordra always take the preposition till when mentioning the new role?
Yes, the standard structure is always befordra någon till något (promote someone to something). You cannot use prepositions that translate to physical direction, like mot, because till specifically marks the resulting role or title in this grammatical structure.
Does befordra only mean "to promote" at work?
Generally, yes, it is used for career promotions. However, in formal or older Swedish, it can also mean to forward or transport something, like befordra en försändelse (forward a shipment). For everyday things like emails, you will instead see the related word vidarebefordra (forward).
What does the prefix över- add to läkare?
The prefix över- translates literally to "over", but in professional titles it denotes a senior, chief, or head position. An överläkare is a senior or chief physician. You will see this same prefix in other professions, like överingenjör (chief engineer).
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