Hänföras

Hänföras is a Swedish verb meaning to be carried away or to be deeply impressed and enthralled, typically by beauty, art, music, or a powerful experience. It conveys a strong emotional response in which something captivates the observer’s attention and imagination.

Usage and forms: The verb is commonly used with bli to express becoming enthralled: for example, hon blev hänförd av konserten (she was enthralled by the concert). The active form häföra is transitive and means to captivate something or someone, as in filmen hänför publiken (the film captivated the audience). The past participle form hänförd can modify a noun, yielding phrases such as en hänförd publik (an enthralled audience). In more formal or literary style, the non-finite passive form hänföras appears in clauses that describe being carried away by something.

Etymology and related terms: Hänföras is a native Swedish verb derived from the related verb hänföra, which carries the sense of drawing in or captivating. It sits in the same semantic field as fängsla and förtrolla, both of which express strong attraction or enchantment.

See also: fängsla, förtrolla, fasciner (to fascinate).

Examples (English translations):

- The music captivated the audience. // Musik hänförde publiken.

- She was enthralled by the landscape.