Breakdown of Du borde låta bli att göra monteringen snabbare än vad prototypen tillåter.
du
you (singular)
snabb
fast
vad
what
göra
to do, to make
att
to
än
than
tillåta
to allow
böra
should, ought to
låta bli
to refrain
prototypen
the prototype
monteringen
the assembly
Questions & Answers about Du borde låta bli att göra monteringen snabbare än vad prototypen tillåter.
Why is vad included after än? Could I just say än prototypen tillåter?
You could use just än, but adding vad is extremely natural in Swedish when a comparison involves an entire clause rather than just comparing two simple nouns. Here, vad acts as a pro-form (a placeholder) that represents "the speed" or "the limit", meaning you are comparing your speed to what the prototype allows.
The phrase låta bli is translated as "refrain from". How does it differ from a word like undvika?
While undvika means to avoid something in a general sense, the phrasal verb låta bli literally means "let be". It specifically implies making a conscious decision to stop or not do an action. When followed by a verb, it always takes att plus the infinitive, as seen here in låta bli att göra.
Could the sentence have used the verb montera instead of the phrase göra monteringen?
Yes, saying att montera snabbare än... (to assemble faster than...) would be perfectly correct. Using göra monteringen turns "the assembly" into a definite noun, which emphasizes it as a specific project, phase, or task rather than just the general physical action of assembling.
As a refresher, why is borde used here for "should" rather than skulle?
borde is the correct verb when giving advice, a recommendation, or stating an obligation (you ought to). English speakers sometimes use skulle by mistake because "should" overlaps with it in English, but Swedish skulle almost always means "would" or "was going to". Since this sentence is advising the listener on how to handle the prototype, borde is required.
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