Flera

Flera is a Swedish determiner and pronoun meaning “several” or “a number of.” It indicates a non-specific quantity greater than one but not defined. It typically precedes a plural noun: “flera dagar,” “flera personer.” It can also function as a pronoun in phrases such as “flera har frågat” or “flera av dem,” where it stands for “several people” or “several of them.” In such uses it agrees in number with the noun and, in modern Swedish, does not decline for case.

Etymology and relation to related forms: The word is cognate with Danish “flere” and Norwegian “flere,” and appears in Old Norse as fleiri. All ultimately derive from a Proto-Germanic root meaning “more” or “many.” It is closely related to the adjective “fler” meaning “more” and to the noun form “flertalet” meaning the majority, though “flera” as a determiner does not itself indicate a specific portion.

Usage notes and nuance: Compared with “många,” “flera” is often somewhat more precise and less strong, suggesting a smaller or more approximate number. It is common in both spoken and written Swedish, including journalism and formal writing. It should not be used with singular nouns; always with plurals (e.g., “flera dagar,” not “flera dag”). It can be used with verbs and prepositional phrases, for example in expressions like “flera gånger” (several times) and “flera av dem” (several of them). In many contexts, “flera” and “många” are interchangeable, but “flera” tends to convey a less definite amount.