be någon att

Ask Someone to

Level 3

be någon att... means 'ask someone to...'. It's used to talk about requests.

How It Works

The structure be någon att is a common way to report a request in Swedish. It follows a clear pattern:

be + [object] + att + [infinitive verb]

Let's break it down:

  • be: This is the main verb, meaning 'to ask' or 'to request'. It's an irregular verb with the forms: ber (present), bad (past), and bett (supinum).
  • [object]: This is the person or people being asked. It can be a noun (e.g., läraren, min vän) or an object pronoun (e.g., mig, dig, honom, henne, oss, er, dem).
  • att: This is the infinitive marker, corresponding to 'to' in English.
  • [infinitive verb]: This is the base form of the verb describing the action that is being requested (e.g., hjälpa, komma, göra).

For example: Jag bad honom att hjälpa mig. (I asked him to help me.)

It's important not to confuse be with fråga.

  • be is used for requests or commands: Jag ber dig att vara tyst. (I'm asking you to be quiet.)
  • fråga is used for asking questions: Jag frågar dig vad klockan är. (I'm asking you what time it is.)

Optional Att And Negation
Jag bad honom hjälpa mig is also standard. If att is present, place ordinary infinitival negation after it: att inte berätta. The person asked controls the understood subject of the infinitive: in Läraren ber eleverna att öppna sina böcker, it is the students who open their own books.

A request can be performed now as well as reported: Jag ber dig att lyssna (I ask you to listen). Questions such as Kan du hjälpa mig? can make requests too; use the construction that fits the intended interaction.

Examples (5)

  1. Läraren ber eleverna att öppna sina böcker.

    The teacher asks the students to open their books.

    Word by Word: The teacher asks the students to open their books.

  2. Jag bad min granne att vattna mina blommor.

    I asked my neighbor to water my flowers.

    Word by Word: I asked my neighbor to water my flowers.

  3. Hon har bett mig att inte berätta för någon.

    She has asked me not to tell anyone.

    Word by Word: She has asked me to not tell to anyone.

    Here inte follows the infinitive marker att and precedes the infinitive berätta: att inte berätta. This is an infinitive phrase, not a finite subordinate clause, and inte is not after the action verb.

  4. Kan du be honom att ringa mig?

    Can you ask him to call me?

    Word by Word: Can you ask him to call me?

  5. Vi blev ombedda att vänta utanför.

    We were asked to wait outside.

    Word by Word: We became asked to wait outside.

    Bli ombedd att is a related passive request construction based on be om. With plural vi, the participle is ombedda.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'fråga' instead of 'be' for requests.

    Jag frågade honom att hjälpa mig.
    Jag bad honom att hjälpa mig.

    Use bad honom (att) hjälpa mig for this direct request pattern. Fråga uses different complements, such as frågade honom om han kunde hjälpa mig. That question can also function as a polite request, so the distinction is syntax rather than a ban on requests with fråga.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

be någon attLevel 3Ask Someone to

Learn This First

To use the 'be någon att' construction, you need to understand how to use object pronouns for the person being asked, the infinitive marker 'att' to introduce the action, and basic verb conjugation for the verb 'be'.

Words in This Pattern

be