S-Forms: Passive, Reciprocal, and Special Verbs
-s?Some Swedish verb forms end in -s.
The first example is passive-like. The second uses a lexical s-verb.
Does final -s mean "passive" every time? No. Some verbs are simply stored as s-verbs.
Productive S-Forms
Many active forms can form an s-form:
läsaläsasläserläseslästelästeslästlästsOther examples:
skrivaskrivasskriverskrivsskrevskrevsskrivitskrivitsThe exact present form matters:
kallarkallasläserläsesskriverskrivsgörgörsLexical S-Verbs
Some verbs should be learned as their own verbs, not generated each time:
| Infinitive | Present | Preterite | Supine |
|---|---|---|---|
finnas | finns/finnes | fanns | funnits |
hoppas | hoppas | hoppades | hoppats |
lyckas | lyckas | lyckades | lyckats |
andas | andas | andades | andats |
minnas | minns | mindes | mints |
trivas | trivs | trivdes | trivts |
tyckas | tycks/tyckes | tycktes | tyckts |
Reciprocal Meaning: Doing Something To Each Other
An s-form can also express a reciprocal meaning: two or more people do the action to each other. This is especially common in everyday phrases.
The spelling alone does not decide whether an s-form is passive, reciprocal, or lexical. Read the participants and meaning of the whole sentence.
A Small Example
The -s form changes focus from the doer to the thing affected.
Now compare:
finns is not just a passive of finna in ordinary learner use. It is a lexical form to learn.
Chapter summary
s-form use | Example | Learner decision |
|---|---|---|
| passive | Boken läses. | the subject receives the action |
| reciprocal | Vi ses. | participants act toward each other |
lexical s-verb | Det finns kaffe. | memorize the verb's own row |
| generated surface form | läste -> lästes | build from the known active slot |
Study check
- 1
Boken läses i skolan. - 2
Det finns kaffe. - 3
Vi ses i morgon. - 4
Huset byggs nu. - 5
De träffas varje fredag. - 6
Jag hoppas att du kommer.