Längre

Längre is a Swedish word that functions as the comparative form of the adjective lång, meaning long. It is used to express greater length in space or duration and can appear in various grammatical contexts. In comparison phrases it commonly follows or pairs with än, as in vägen är längre än den andra, meaning the road is longer than the other. It can also modify a noun directly, yielding forms like en längre väg or en längre väntetid, meaning a longer road or a longer wait. In addition, längre appears in constructions with verbs to denote duration, such as stanna längre or arbeta längre.

Längre has important usages beyond simple comparison. The phrase inte längre means “no longer,” indicating that something has ceased to be the case or to occur. This negation is a common and productive part of Swedish expression, and längre is central to its meaning.

Etymology and related forms: längre derives from the Swedish adjective lång, in the historical and linguistic family of North Germanic languages. Its cognates include Danish længere and Norwegian lengre, all tracing back to older Proto-Germanic roots associated with length. The word maintains a stable role in contemporary Swedish, both in written and spoken language.

Usage note: längre contrasts with the superlative längst, which denotes the longest. While längre often refers to a comparative degree, the word can also mark duration or extent in time, not solely physical length. Understanding längres role helps in parsing both descriptive phrases and time-related expressions in Swedish.