| Form | Swedish | English pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | att köra | to … |
| Present | kör | I …, he …s |
| Past (preteritum) | körde | I …ed |
| Supine (perfect) | har kört | have …ed |
| Past perfect | hade kört | had …ed |
| Future | ska köra / kommer att köra | will … |
| Imperative | kör! | … ! |
| Past participle | körd | …ed (adjective) |
| Present participle | körande | …ing |
Swedish verbs do not change for person: jag kör, du kör, hon kör, vi kör, de kör. Learn one form per tense and you can use it with everyone.
How köra 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 köra → kör, körde, kört.
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 körd).
| Form | Swedish |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | att köras |
| Present | körs |
| Past | kördes |
| Supine | har körts |
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