Tvärt

Tvärt is a Swedish adverb meaning in the opposite way or the contrary. It indicates a reversal or opposition to a statement, expectation, or situation. The term is most commonly found in the phrase tvärt emot, meaning in contrast to, and in the fixed expression tvärtom, meaning on the contrary. In contemporary Swedish, tvärt often carries a formal or literary tone and is more common in writing than in everyday speech.

Origin and form: The word derives from tvär, meaning cross or transverse, combined with the ending -t to form an adverb. This reflects the sense of turning across or opposing. Historically, tvärt has appeared mainly in written language and more careful speech, though it remains established in modern usage.

Usage notes and examples: Tvärt introduces a reversal of a claim, expectation, or outcome. Examples: Det var tvärt emot vad alla förväntade. Det visade sig vara tvärt emot vad som sagts tidigare. In many contexts, tvärtom is preferred for the general “on the contrary” sense, while tvärt can emphasize reversal in contrast to a preceding statement with emot.

Relation and synonyms: Related expressions include emot and tvärtom. The term is part of a broader set of words used to indicate opposition or contrast, such as motsats (opposite) and omvänt (in reverse or conversely).

See also: tvär, emot, tvärtom, omvänt, motsats.