berätta

Berätta is a Swedish verb meaning to tell, recount, or narrate. It is used to convey information, stories, or events to another person or audience. The word is common across registers, from everyday speech to journalism and literature.

Usage examples and constructions include: berätta en historia (to tell a story), berätta sanningen (to tell the truth). It is frequently used with for to indicate the listener: berätta för någon (tell someone). It can introduce reported speech with att: Hon berättade att hon var försenad (She told me that she was delayed). It can also be used with om to tell about something: Berätta om vad som hände (Tell about what happened). The phrase berätta något för någon is a general pattern.

Grammar and forms: Infinitive berätta; present berättar; past berättade; supine or past participle berättat, used with help verbs to form perfect tenses (har berättat). The imperative form is berätta! The passive form berättas is used for statements like something being told, and the participle berörd or berördhet are not standard for this verb.

Etymology and related terms: Berätta is a native Swedish verb linked to the noun berättelse (story) and the broader concept of recounting. Cognates exist in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian and Danish, where related verbs convey the act of telling or narrating, reflecting shared Germanic roots.

See also: storytelling, narration, reported speech.