övertalade

övertala is a Swedish verb meaning to persuade someone to do something or to accept an idea by presenting arguments, incentives, or other reasons. It often implies an intentional effort to bring about a specific action, rather than simply convincing someone on a theoretical level. The term can be used in everyday speech as well as in formal contexts such as business or politics.

Grammatically, the verb is conjugated as follows: present tense övertalar, past tense övertalade, and supine övertalat. The past participle is also övertalat, used with auxiliary verbs in perfect tenses, for example har övertalat. A typical construction is att övertala någon att göra något, meaning to persuade someone to do something.

Nuance and usage notes: övertala often carries a sense of actively persuading someone to take an action, possibly through argument, persuasion, or pressure. It is somewhat broader than övertyga, which more often emphasizes changing a belief or attitude based on demonstrating that something is true or sound. The choice between övertala and få någon att göra något can depend on formality and intensity; övertala may imply a stronger or more deliberate effort.

Etymology: the verb combines the prefix över- (over, thoroughly) with tala (to speak). The combination suggests speaking someone into agreement or action. The form is common in Swedish and has cognates in other Germanic languages, reflecting a similar verb construction for persuasion.

Examples: Jag övertalade honom att följa med till mötet. De övertalade henne att investera i projektet. Det finns situationer där övertalning kan gränsa till press eller manipulation, men i vardagligt språk används termen oftast neutralt.