ångern

Ångern is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun ånger, meaning remorse, regret, or repentance. It denotes a feeling of genuine sorrow for past actions and is often associated with moral evaluation or guilt. The base form ånger refers to remorse in general, while ångern is used when speaking of a specific instance or when treating the remorse as a definite phenomenon.

Etymology and form: Ånger derives from older North Germanic languages, related to words for distress or sorrow in Old Norse. The definite suffix -n yields ångern in modern Swedish, fitting standard noun inflection patterns for neuter nouns with the -er plural in the indefinite and a definite form in singular.

Usage: In contemporary Swedish, ånger is common in everyday language, while ångern tends to appear in more formal, literary, or reflective contexts to emphasize the weight or specificity of remorse. The term can appear in phrases discussing moral responsibility, consequences of actions, and the desire to make amends, though many speakers prefer ånger in general statements about remorse.

Relation to related terms: Ånger is closely related to words such as ångerfullhet (remorsefulness), skuld (guilt), and ångra (to regret or to repent). While ånger describes the feeling, ångra is the verb used to express the act of regretting or choosing to repent.

See also: remorse, guilt, repentance, ethics, psychology.