behövs

Behövs is the present tense passive form of the Swedish verb behöva, meaning to need. It is used to express that something is required or necessary in impersonal constructions, where the subject is indefinite. A common pattern is the dummy subject det: Det behövs mer tid.

Grammar and form are central to understanding behövs. The present passive form is used for all persons in impersonal clauses, for example Det behövs fler volontärer. The corresponding past passive is behövdes, as in Det behövdes flera timmar. The active form is behöver, as in Jag behöver hjälp. The perfect tense is built with ha behövt, for example Jag har behövt vila.

Usage notes help distinguish behøva from related expressions. Behov can appear in planning, notices, and instructions to indicate necessity or requirement. Det behövs ofta i sammanhang där målet är att ange vad som krävs för att slutföra en uppgift. Negation is formed with inte: Det behövs inte. Questions are formed with inverted or fronted structures: Behövs det nu eller senare?

Examples illustrate typical usage. Det behövs en ny brygga. Det behövdes fortfarande flera timmar innan vi kunde börja. Vi har behövt mycket tålamod för projektet. These sentences show present, past, and perfect uses of the form and its impersonal character.

Etymology and cognates place behöva in the broader North Germanic family. The Swedish verb is related to Danish behøve and Norwegian behøve, all tracing back to a common root meaning to require or need. This connection helps explain the uniformity of the impersonal construction across Scandinavian languages.