Flygande

Flygande is a Swedish present participle form of the verb flyga, meaning to fly. It functions as an adjective meaning “flying” or “airborne,” and is used to describe animals, objects or people engaged in flight. In everyday usage it appears in phrases such as flygande fågel (a flying bird) or flygande farkost (an airborne vehicle). The form can also appear in noun phrases to denote a characteristic or class, for example a flygande maskin refers to an aircraft or flying machine.

Etymology and grammar

Flygande is formed from the verb flyga with the participle suffix -nde, a common way in Swedish to create present participles that function adjectivally. As with other participles, flygande agrees in number and, when used attributively, often follows the noun it modifies in everyday Swedish (for example en flygande bil would be a hypothetical flying car). In predicative use, it can describe something as currently in flight, as in Fågeln är flygande.

Notable uses

One well-known cultural reference in Swedish is Flygande Jakob, a traditional hot dish consisting of chicken, bacon, bananas, peanuts and cream. The name translates loosely as “Flying Jakob,” though it does not imply a literal flight. The term flygande enjoys broader use in aviation-related language and journalism to describe aircraft, drones or other devices capable of flight.

See also

Related terms include flyga (to fly) and flygplats (airport). In Swedish, flygande serves as a productive adjective for any context involving flight.