Teckna

Teckna is a Swedish verb with several related meanings. The most common sense is to draw or sketch, as in teckna en bild or teckna en teckning. It can also mean to sign a document or contract, for example teckna ett avtal. In finance and business contexts, teckna also means to subscribe to or acquire shares in a new issue, such as teckna aktier i en emission.

Grammatically, teckna is conjugated like a regular strong verb. In present tense it forms tecknar, in past tense tecknade, and in perfect constructions with auxiliary ha it uses tecknat (har tecknat). Participial forms include tecknad for the past participle and tecknande as a present participle-like form in some constructions.

Nouns related to teckna include teckning, meaning a drawing or sketch, and tecknare, referring to a draughtsman, illustrator, or artist. The verb can also appear in compounds and set phrases, such as underteckna (to sign under) or teckna avtal in contexts where signing is involved.

Usage notes provide some nuance. In everyday Swedish, teckna for drawing is common, while for signing documents more typical terms are skriva under or underteckna, with teckna appearing more in older texts or specific financial language. The sense of teckna as subscribing to shares is well established in business and investing jargon.

Etymologically, teckna is linked to tecken (sign) and related to making marks or signs. The word has long-standing usage in Swedish and remains in regular use in both artistic and financial contexts.