Återberätta

Återberätta is a Swedish verb meaning to tell again or to recount a story, event, or information. It is often used to describe retelling or summarizing what has been heard or read, rather than creating new content from scratch. The action can involve recounting a narrative for someone else or paraphrasing a text to convey its main points. As a transitive verb, it takes a direct object: for example, å terberätta en historia or återberätta vad som hände.

Etymology and form: the word combines åter- meaning “again” with berätta, “to tell,” indicating repetition or re-expression. The basic conjugation is infinitive återberätta; present återberättar; past återberättade; supine återberättat. In perfect constructions, one would say har återberättat.

Nominal forms related to the verb include återberättelse, meaning a retelling or summary, and, less commonly, återberättare, referring to a person who retells. The term is widely used in education, literature, media, and everyday speech to distinguish recounting from original storytelling.

Usage and nuance: återberätta often implies reproducing or summarizing someone else’s words or a previously heard account, whereas berätta can denote spontaneous narration or original storytelling. In classrooms, students may be asked to återberätta ett kapitel to demonstrate understanding. In literary contexts, it can describe a retellings or paraphrase of a source, rather than a direct quotation.

Overall, återberätta is a standard verb for repeating or recapitulating content in Swedish, with clear implications of repetition, summarization, and fidelity to an original account.