Samtala

samtala is a Swedish verb meaning to engage in a conversation with someone, to have a talk, or to discuss. It emphasizes a two-way, reciprocal exchange and is commonly used in more formal, professional, or reflective contexts, though it can appear in everyday speech as well. The action can take place in person, by phone, or through other communication forms, and it is widely used in education, counselling, management, journalism, and diplomacy. It is distinct from casual talking (prata) and from arguing or debating (diskutera, debattera).

Etymology and related terms: the word combines sam- meaning together with tala meaning to speak, reflecting a notion of speaking together. The noun form samtal refers to a single conversation, and cognates exist in Norwegian (samtale) and Danish (samtale).

Usage notes: samtala is typically used with med to specify the other party, as in samtala med en klient or samtala med myndigheterna. It is common in professional guidelines, interviews, and formal communication. Phrases such as ett samtal and att ha ett samtal are standard in describing the act or event of conversing.

Grammar: infinitive att samtala; present form samtalar; past tense samtalade; supine samtalat. Examples: Vi samtalar om projektet, och vi har samtalat med flera experter. The term often appears in compound nouns derived from samtal, such as utvecklingssamtal (development meeting) or arbets-samtal (work discussion).

See also: samtal (noun), konversation, dialog.