Swedish · Verb Tables · Intermediate

Läsa Conjugation

läsa means "to to read" in Swedish. Present: läser. Below: all 14 tenses we teach, with examples.

Present Presens

Verb stem + -r (talar, ringer, köper, bor, skriver). One form for every person; also used for the near future with a time word ("imorgon åker jag").

läser

Present continuous (håller på att) Presens (pågående: håller på att)

Swedish has no -ing tense; the present simple covers it. To stress that something is going on right now, use "håller på att" + infinitive (also "sitter/står/ligger och" + verb). Not used with state verbs such as bo.

håller på att läsa

Simple past Preteritum

Finished events at a definite time: weak verbs add -ade, -de or -te; strong verbs change the stem vowel (skriva - skrev). Same form for every person.

läste

Present perfect Perfekt

har + supine (talat, ringt, köpt, bott, skrivit). Used for past events with a link to now, or with no specific time. Swedish uses "har", never "är", as the auxiliary here.

har läst

Pluperfect Pluskvamperfekt

hade + supine. An event that was already finished before another past moment.

hade läst

Future with ska (intention) Futurum (ska + infinitiv)

ska + infinitive. Plans, intentions, promises and decisions: something the speaker means to do.

ska läsa

Future with kommer att (prediction) Futurum (kommer att + infinitiv)

kommer att + infinitive. Predictions and things that will happen regardless of anyone's will (weather, schedules). "Det kommer att regna" = it will rain; "Jag ska gå" = I intend to go.

kommer att läsa

Future perfect Futurum exaktum (kommer att ha + supinum)

kommer att ha (or ska ha) + supine. Something that will be finished by a point in the future. Fairly formal; in speech the present perfect or presens is often used with "till".

kommer att ha läst

Conditional Konditionalis (skulle + infinitiv)

skulle + infinitive. Polite requests, advice and unreal or unlikely situations ("om ..." + preteritum in the if-part).

skulle läsa

Conditional perfect Konditionalis perfekt (skulle ha + supinum)

skulle ha + supine, with "om ... hade + supine" in the if-part. Unreal past situations: what would have happened.

skulle ha läst

Present passive Presens passiv (s-passiv)

Verb stem + -s: skrivs, köps, talas. Used when the doer is unimportant ("Svenska talas här"). Intransitive verbs such as bo have no passive.

läses

Past passive Preteritum passiv

Past stem + -s: skrevs, köptes, talades.

lästes

Perfect passive Perfekt passiv

har + supine + -s: har skrivits, har köpts, har talats.

har lästs

Imperative Imperativ

The bare stem (the infinitive minus -a for most verbs): skriv! köp! ring! tala! bo! Same form for one or many people. Negative: add "inte" ("skriv inte!"). Polite: "var snäll och ..." or "kan du ...".

läs

Examples

Jag läser en bok om Sverige.	I'm reading a book about Sweden.
Har du läst brevet?	Have you read the letter?

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