pådrages

Pådrages is a Norwegian verb form used in passive constructions to indicate that someone or something incurs, contracts, or bears something, often unwelcome. It stems from the phrasal verb å pådra seg, which conveys the idea of drawing upon oneself or causing one to experience a consequence. In practice, pådrages appears mainly in formal or administrative prose.

Etymology and usage

The prefix på- combined with dra (to draw) in this idiom conveys that a consequence is imposed or acquired by the subject. The construction å pådra seg is used with reflexive pronouns or nouns to express incurring or contracting, for example illnesses, costs, obligations, or penalties. The passive form pådrages is used when the focus is on the consequence and not on the actor, or when the actor is omitted or generalized.

Typical collocations

Common targets of pådrages include sykdom (illness), kostnader (costs), utgifter (expenses), skader (injuries), gjeld (debt), forpliktelser (obligations), and straff (punishment). The agent is usually introduced with av, as in store kostnader pådras av selskapet (large costs are incurred by the company).

Examples

Active: Han pådro seg influensa i helgen. Selskapet pådro seg store kostnader etter prosjektfeilen.

Passive present: Store kostnader pådras av selskapet i forbindelse med prosjektet. Pasienter pådras ofte infeksjoner hvis hygienetiltak svikter. In many contexts, the passive form provides a neutral or impersonal tone suitable for reports and legal texts.

See also

Å pådra seg, incurred, contract.