| Form | Swedish | English pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | att bygga | to … |
| Present | bygger | I …, he …s |
| Past (preteritum) | byggde | I …ed |
| Supine (perfect) | har byggt | have …ed |
| Past perfect | hade byggt | had …ed |
| Future | ska bygga / kommer att bygga | will … |
| Imperative | bygg! | … ! |
| Past participle | byggd | …ed (adjective) |
| Present participle | byggande | …ing |
Swedish verbs do not change for person: jag bygger, du bygger, hon bygger, vi bygger, de bygger. Learn one form per tense and you can use it with everyone.
How bygga 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 bygga → bygger, byggde, byggt.
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 (blev byggd).
| Form | Swedish |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | att byggas |
| Present | byggs |
| Past | byggdes |
| Supine | har byggts |
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