Fruktar

Fruktar is the present tense form of the Swedish verb frukta, meaning to fear or to dread. It conveys a sense of apprehension that can range from ordinary concern to strong, serious fear. The term is relatively formal or literary and is commonly found in written Swedish, religious language, or formal discourse. Fruktar can refer to fear of a person, a situation, or a future outcome, and can be used with direct object as in frukta döden, or with a subordinate clause introduced by att, as in frukta att något händer.

Grammatical notes: Fruktar is the present tense form used for all persons in the third-conjugation verb class. Typical inflections include jag fruktar, du fruktar, han fruktar, vi fruktar, ni fruktar, de fruktar. The simple past tense is fruktade, and the supine or past participle is fruktat. The verb is transitive and can take a direct object (frukta något) or be followed by att + verb phrase (frukta att han inte kommer).

Etymology and usage: Frukta originates from older North Germanic forms, with the noun fruktan meaning fear or dread. The word is cognate with related North Germanic terms in Danish and Norwegian. In modern Swedish, frukta and fruktar retain a formal or literary tone and are often preferred in contexts that require a stronger sense of fear than everyday expressions like vara rädd för.

See also: fruktan, rädsla, frukta att.