beskrevs

Beskrevs is a Swedish verb form meaning “was described.” It represents the past tense in the s-passive construction of the verb beskriva, which means to describe. In Swedish, the ordinary present passive is beskrivs, while beskrevs is the past passive form, used to indicate that something was described by someone, often with an agent introduced by av.

In grammar terms, beskriva has the present tense beskriver, the past tense active beskrev, and the past participle beskrivit. The s-passive form beskrevs is a finite form that does not vary by person or number. A typical sentence is: Texten beskrevs av flera forskare, “The text was described by several researchers.” The active equivalent is Texten beskrev forskarna, “The text described the researchers,” though that sentence is less common in normal usage.

Usage notes: The s-passive, including beskrevs, is common in formal written Swedish—academic, bureaucratic, and journalistic contexts—where a concise, impersonal tone is desirable. In everyday spoken language, speakers often prefer alternative constructions such as bleve beskriven or har beskrivits, or they rephrase to avoid the passive.

Etymology and relation to related forms: beskreva stems from the verb beskriva, with the be- prefix forming a lexical item that means to describe. The -s ending marks the passive, a distinct feature of Swedish grammar. Related terms include beskrivning (description) and the non-passive forms beskrev (past active) and beskrivit (past participle).