Inom

Inom is a Swedish preposition meaning within or inside of a defined boundary. It signals that something lies inside the limits of a period of time, a geographical area, a set of rules, or another scope. Inom is typically followed by a noun phrase that expresses the limit and is used with both concrete and abstract boundaries.

Usage and contrasts

Inom is used to indicate containment within a boundary that is not necessarily a physical interior. For physical interiors, inuti can be more natural, but inom covers broader or more abstract limits such as time frames, jurisdictions, or ranges. For example: inom en vecka (within a week), inom Sverige (within Sweden), inom EU:s regler (within the rules of the EU). It is common in formal writing, reports, and bureaucratic language, as well as in everyday speech.

Common phrases and idioms

A frequent idiom is inom kort, meaning soon or in the near future. Other examples include within a budget or within the scope of a project, where within denotes the permitted or expected extent.

Grammar and style

Inom does not itself change form; the following noun phrase can be definite or indefinite depending on context (for example, inom en vecka vs. inom Sverige). It is widely used across registers and is a standard tool for expressing boundaries, limits, and timelines in Swedish.

See also

Synonyms and related expressions include inuti (inside the interior) and inom räckhåll (within reach).