Affären

Affären is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun affär. The word has several related meanings and is widely used in everyday Swedish. Most commonly it denotes a store or shop, as in en affär meaning a place that sells goods. In broader use affär can also refer to a business or enterprise, i.e., a company or undertaking. Additionally, affär can describe a transaction or deal, as in att göra en affär (to make a deal or close a transaction).

The plural form affärer can refer to either stores/businesses or deals, depending on context. The definite plural is affärerna, and the indefinite plural is affärer. The definite form affären typically means “the store” or “the business” when speaking about a specific one.

Etymology and history: affär originates from the French affaire, via German Affäre, reflecting its older sense of business or affair. Over time Swedish extended the sense to cover commercial establishments as well as transactions, while maintaining the broader idea of an enterprise or undertaking.

Usage notes: In contemporary Swedish, butik is a common synonym for shop, but affär remains prevalent, especially in compound terms such as affärsidé (business idea), affärspartner (business partner), and affärsman/affärskvinna (businessperson). In everyday speech, the phrase att göra en affär emphasizes a commercial deal, whereas att gå till affären would refer to going to the store.