Breakdown of Instruktören skulle vilja att vi tar dykkursen tillsammans.
vi
we
tillsammans
together
vilja
to want to
ta
to take
att
that
skulle
would
instruktören
the instructor
dykkursen
the diving course
Questions & Answers about Instruktören skulle vilja att vi tar dykkursen tillsammans.
Why does the Swedish sentence use att vi tar instead of translating "us to take"?
This is a major structural difference between the two languages! In English, we use an object followed by an infinitive ("would like us to take"). In Swedish, when a verb expresses a wish or desire (like vilja) and the subject changes (from instruktören to vi), you cannot use an object and an infinitive. Instead, you must use a new clause starting with att. You are literally saying "The instructor would like that we take..."
Why is the verb tar in the present tense here if the first part is skulle vilja?
The main clause uses the conditional skulle vilja (would like), but the action in the att-clause is a real, potential event happening in the present or near future. Therefore, tar stays in the present tense. Swedish doesn't force the second verb into a past or conditional form just because the main verb is conditional.
Could I just say vill instead of skulle vilja?
Grammatically, yes, but it changes the tone. Skulle vilja translates to "would like" and is a polite, softer way to express a preference. If you use vill, it means "wants" (The instructor wants us to take...), which sounds much more direct or demanding.
Is tar the only verb you can use for "taking" a course in Swedish?
You can absolutely use tar (from ta, to take), which matches the English phrasing perfectly. However, it is also extremely common in Swedish to use går (from gå, to walk/go) when talking about attending a class or a program. Saying att vi går dykkursen would sound perfectly natural here too.
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