Befintliga

Befintliga is a Swedish adjective meaning existing or currently present. It is used to describe entities that already exist within a given context, such as buildings, conditions, documents, or plans. The term is commonly found in planning, legal, architectural, and administrative language to distinguish what exists now from what is proposed or newly added.

In Swedish, adjectives inflect for number and gender. Befintlig is used for en-words in singular form; befintligt for ett-words; befintliga for plural nouns. Examples include en befintlig byggnad (one existing building) and två befintliga byggnader (two existing buildings). The predicative form is befintliga as in byggnaderna är befintliga (the buildings are existing).

Etymology traces befintliga to the verb befinna, meaning to exist or be present, with the adjective-forming suffix -lig. In many contexts befintliga can be seen as synonymous with existerande, which is a more formal or literary option, though both convey the sense of something that already exists rather than something new.

Common uses and nuances: befintliga förhållanden or befintliga byggnader emphasize the current state rather than future developments; the term helps frame analyses, plans, or decisions around what is already present. It contrasts with ny eller nya, meaning new, to clarify changes or proposals.

See also: befintlighet (existence/presence), existerande, nybyggnation.