Vännen

Vännen is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun vän, meaning "the friend." The corresponding indefinite singular is vän, and the indefinite plural is vänner, while the definite plural is vännerna. In standard Swedish, vän is an en-word (common gender), so the ordinary singular forms are vän (indefinite) and vännen (definite), with vänner (indefinite plural) and vännerna (definite plural).

Usage and grammar

Vännen refers to a specific friend that both speaker and listener presumably know or have established in discourse. In Swedish, possessive constructions such as min vän (my friend) or din vän are commonly used in the singular without attaching a definite ending, so you typically say min vän rather than min vännen. The definite form vännen is used when the identity of the friend is already clear or has been previously mentioned, for example in sentences like Vännen väntar utanför, or Jag träffade vännen från skolan i går. The definite plural vännerna is used when speaking about a known group of friends, for instance Vännerna åt lunch tillsammans.

Etymology

Vän stems from Old Norse vin, related to the Scandinavian equivalents ven (Danish, Norwegian) and English cognates related to friendship. The definite singular ending -nen is a standard Swedish suffix used to mark the definite form for many en-words.

See also

Vän (friend, the indefinite form), vänner (friends), vännerna (the friends). Note that contexts involving affection or close relationships may use idiomatic expressions such as bästa vän (best friend) without introducing a definite ending on vän.