Behöver

Behöver is a Swedish verb meaning "to need." It expresses necessity or requirement and is commonly used to indicate what someone requires in order to act, live, or succeed. It can govern either a following infinitive or a noun phrase, and it often functions similarly to modal verbs in conveying obligation or urgency.

Conjugation and grammar: In the present tense, behöva takes the same form for all persons: jag behöver, du behöver, han/hon behöver, vi behöver, ni behöver, de behöver. The simple past tense is behövde for all persons. The supine form is behövt, which appears in perfect constructions with have: jag har behövt, du har behövt, han har behövt, etc. The verb typically appears without "att" before the following infinitive, as in Jag behöver gå or Vi behöver köpa mat. It can also take a noun phrase with a determiner, such as Jag behöver hjälp or Det finns ett behov av mer tid.

Usage and nuance: Behöver often denotes an objective requirement rather than a subjective desire. It can express immediate practical needs (Jag behöver en kopp kaffe) or more general requirements (Vi behöver mer utbildning). A common noun form is behov, meaning "a need" or "a requirement," used in phrases like behov av åtgärder or Det finns behov av förbättringar. Negation is formed with inte: Jag behöver inte gå. Questions can invert with behov: Behöver jag gå nu?

In summary, behöva is a core Swedish verb for describing needs and requirements, versatile in both infinitive constructions and noun phrases, and it follows predictable conjugation patterns across tenses.