| Form | Swedish | English pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | att betyda | to … |
| Present | betyder | I …, he …s |
| Past (preteritum) | betydde | I …ed |
| Supine (perfect) | har betytt | have …ed |
| Past perfect | hade betytt | had …ed |
| Future | ska betyda / kommer att betyda | will … |
| Imperative | betyd! | … ! |
| Present participle | betydande | …ing |
Swedish verbs do not change for person: jag betyder, du betyder, hon betyder, vi betyder, de betyder. Learn one form per tense and you can use it with everyone.
How betyda conjugates
Group 2a verbs drop the -a of the infinitive and add -er in the present and -de in the past: stänga → stänger, stängde, stängt. The past takes -de when the stem ends in a voiced sound. So betyda → betyder, betydde, betytt.
Passive (s-form)
Swedish makes the passive by adding -s: the doer drops out and the thing acted on becomes the subject. Spoken Swedish often prefers bli + past participle.
| Form | Swedish |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | att betydas |
| Past | betyddes |
| Supine | har betytts |
Meanings and examples
Patterns: ngn = någon (someone) · ngt = något (something) · SATS = a clause · VERB = a verb · PLATS = a place · RIKTNING = a direction · TID = a time · SÄTT = a manner · ADJ = an adjective