tillfaller

Tillfaller is a Swedish verb meaning to befall, to happen to someone, or to fall to someone to do something. It is most often used in impersonal constructions with the pronoun det, as in "Det tillfaller mig att meddela beslutet," meaning "It falls to me to announce the decision." The form is relatively formal and literary, and it appears frequently in administrative, ceremonial, or legal language.

Conjugation and usage: The infinitive is tillfalla; present tense is tillfaller; past tense is tillföll; the perfect participle (supine) is tillfallit. Common examples include: "Det tillfaller henne att ansvara för projektet," "Det tillföll mig att skriva rapporten," and "Det har tillfallit mig att leda arbetet." The construction often uses det as a dummy subject, followed by a clausal infinitive introduced by att.

Etymology and relation to other forms: Tillfalla comes from a Germanic root meaning “to fall toward” or “to befall.” It is cognate with the English verb befail/befall in the sense of something that befalls someone. The sense has retained a formal, somewhat ceremonial tone in modern Swedish.

Notes on usage: Tillfaller is most common in formal writing and official speech. In everyday conversation, speakers often rephrase to express duties or responsibilities more directly, for example using phrases like "det är min uppgift att" or "det faller på mig att." The verb is primarily used with a det-construction, though it can appear with an explicit subject in literary contexts.

See also: ordföljd i svenska, befall, falla.