Förtjänt

Förtjänt is a Swedish adjective meaning des er ved or merited. It describes something that has earned its reward through effort, merit, or rightful circumstance. The word can be used attributively before a noun, as in ett förtjänt pris or f ö rtjä nt erkännande, and it can also be used predicatively in sentences like Det var ett förtjänt erkännande. In everyday language, the related form välförtjänt (well-deserved) is common for emphasizing merit.

Etymology and form: Förtjänt comes from the verb förtjäna, meaning to deserve or to earn, with the adjectival suffix -nt. The construction is standard in Swedish, and the form is generally used across formal and informal registers. The intensifying variant välförtjänt is frequently used to stress that something is truly deserved.

Usage notes: The term denotes merit in a factual sense rather than moral judgment. It is appropriate for awards, praise, rewards, and recognitions that are believed to be justified by the recipient’s actions or results. The noun form related to the concept is f ör tj än st, meaning merit or deservedness. Antonyms and contrasts typically appear as orättfärdig or orättvis, depending on context, to express lack of justification or undeservedness. In practice, f ö r tjä nt is flexible and common in both media and literature when describing justified outcomes or recognitions.

Related terms include förtjänst (merit or deservedness) and förtjäna (to deserve or earn). The compound välförtjänt is a frequent intensifier for ensuring emphasis on deservedness.