består

Består is a Swedish verb meaning to consist of or to be composed of. It is used to describe what elements or parts make up a thing or concept. In everyday language it commonly appears with the preposition av, forming the construction består av, meaning “is made up of” or “consists of.” For example, Maten består av tre rätter. Denna rapport består av flera avsnitt.

Forms and grammar: bestå is the infinitive. The present tense is består (singular and plural share the form in practice, as in Det består/Det består av två våningar). The past tense is bestod. The past participle (used in perfect tenses) is bestått, as in Det har bestått av tre delar. The verb can also appear in other tenses with auxiliary verbs, as in Det har bestått av flera moment.

Usage notes: Bestå av is the standard way to express what something is made up of. Bestå i is used to indicate what something essentially consists in or amounts to, often in a figurative sense, as in Det hela består i ett enkelt fel i planeringen. In Swedish, the construction is common for physical objects, lists of components, and abstract compositions alike.

Etymology and related forms: Bestå is of Germanic origin; cognate verbs exist in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish and Norwegian, with related meanings. This contributes to cross-language understanding of similar phrases like “bestå av.”

See also: Vocabulary related to composition and components; grammar references for Swedish verb conjugation.