Breakdown of Du måste dra handtaget uppåt för att höja kontorsstolen.
du
you (singular)
att
to (before a verb)
måste
to have to, must
för
for, to
dra
to pull
handtaget
the handle
uppåt
upward
höja
to raise
kontorsstolen
the office chair
Questions & Answers about Du måste dra handtaget uppåt för att höja kontorsstolen.
Why is uppåt used here instead of just upp?
The suffix -åt indicates a general direction or trajectory ("upwards") rather than a specific destination. You are pulling the handle in an upward direction, not moving it to a final location called "up".
Could I use lyfta instead of höja to mean "raise" the chair?
Lyfta means to physically pick something up off the ground (like lifting a box). Höja is used here because you are adjusting the built-in height of the chair, not picking the whole chair up into the air.
Why do we need för att here? Can't we just use att?
When "to" translates to "in order to" and expresses the purpose of an action, you must use för att in Swedish. Using just att would be incorrect here because you are explaining the reason why you pull the handle.
Why is there an "s" in the middle of kontorsstolen?
It is a connecting "s" used to glue two nouns together to form a compound word: kontor (office) and stolen (the chair). This connecting "s" is very common when the first noun in a compound ends in a consonant.
Why is it dra and not drar?
Måste is a modal verb, which means it must be followed by the infinitive form of the main verb. The infinitive form is dra (to pull), so we do not use the present tense drar.
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