Jämnas

Jämnas is a Swedish verb meaning to become level, even, or to be leveled, and it can also indicate that differences are made equal or that things are brought onto a common level. The form jämnas is the present tense in the passive/reflexive voice, and it is used both literally (leveling physical surfaces) and metaphorically (leveling differences, prices, or outcomes).

Common uses include leveling a surface or smoothing out differences. For example, gaten and roads can jämnas ut after repair work, and prices or wages can jämnas ut över tid to indicate smoothing of variation through time. In a figurative sense, social or regional differences can jämnas ut, as in statements about trying to jämnas ut skillnader mellan olika delar av samhället.

The expression jämnas med is used to indicate being on a par with someone or something, i.e., to be equal to. For instance, one can say att resultatet jämnas med fjolårets resultat to express parity with the previous year. The form jämnas can also appear in contexts where processes converge toward equality, such as politik eller ekonomi where gaps are intended to shrink.

Etymology and grammar: jämnas is derived from the adjective jämn (even). The suffix -as marks a passive or reflexive construction. The related verb jämna ut means to level out actively, while utjämna (a closely related term) is commonly used for more formal contexts of balancing or equalizing.

See also: jämn, jämföra, jämställa, utjämna.