Breakdown of Törs du fråga chefen om du saknar kompetens?
du
you (singular)
fråga
to ask
chefen
the boss
om
if, whether
sakna
to miss (feel the absence of)
törs
to dare
kompetensen
the competence
Questions & Answers about Törs du fråga chefen om du saknar kompetens?
Why is there no att before fråga?
The verb törs (dare to) functions as a semi-modal verb in Swedish. Just like other modal verbs you already know, such as kan (can) or vill (want), it takes the bare infinitive. Therefore, you say törs fråga (dare to ask), rather than törs att fråga.
Why does törs end in an -s? Is it a passive verb?
No, it has an active meaning. Törs is a deponent verb, meaning it always ends in an -s but is never passive in meaning. Other common deponent verbs you might remember from earlier lessons are hoppas (to hope) and minns (to remember).
Could I use vågar instead of törs here?
Yes, vågar du fråga means exactly the same thing. Att våga is slightly more common in modern Swedish than att töras. However, keep in mind that while törs always takes the bare infinitive, vågar can be followed by either the bare infinitive or att + infinitive.
Does om in this sentence mean "whether" or "in the event that"?
It can actually mean both, and the Swedish grammar is identical either way! Depending on the wider context, this sentence could mean "Do you dare to ask the boss whether you lack competence?" or it could be conditional: "If you lack competence, do you dare to ask the boss?"
I learned that saknar means "to miss". Why is it translated as "lack" here?
Att sakna carries two closely related meanings: "to miss" (as in feeling sad about someone's absence, like jag saknar dig) and "to lack" or "to be without" (like lacking an item or a skill). When paired with a word like kompetens (competence/qualifications), it almost always means "to lack".
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