verb

uppdra

task · instruct · commission

Definition & meaning

The verb uppdra (often used as the reflexive uppdra åt or in the past participle uppdragen) has two primary meanings in Swedish:

To commission or assign a task: To give someone the responsibility or mandate to perform a specific job or duty. This is usually followed by the preposition åt.
To pull up or haul up: To physically move something upwards, often from a surface like the ground or water. This can refer to pulling a boat onto land, or pulling a blind or a curtain. It can also describe the action of winding a mechanical watch (to tighten the spring).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar: The verb follows the strong conjugation pattern:

Infinitive: uppdra
Present: uppdrar
Past: uppdrog
Supine: uppdragit
Past Participle: uppdragen

Word origin: The word is a compound of the prefix upp- (up) and the verb dra (to pull/draw). The sense of "commissioning" comes from the metaphorical idea of "drawing up" (as in drafting a document or bringing a matter to someone's attention for them to handle).