bruka

Bruka is a Swedish verb meaning to use something regularly or to be in the habit of doing something. It is used to express habitual actions or customary behavior and is often translated into English as “usually” or “to tend to.”

Grammatical usage and forms: Bruka is conjugated to reflect tense and person, with the present tense form bruk ar in most subject positions (for example, jag brukar). The past tense is brukade, indicating a habitual action in the past (hon brukade). The past participle is brukat and can appear with auxiliary verbs to form compound tenses (jag har brukat). The infinitive is bruka. In modern Swedish, bruka is typically followed directly by an infinitive, without the particle att, although older or more formal styles may insert att in certain constructions.

Examples:

- Jag brukar gå till gymmet på måndagar. (I usually go to the gym on Mondays.)

- Hon brukade bo i Göteborg. (She used to live in Gothenburg.)

- Vi har brukat äta tillsammans varje helg. (We have tended to eat together each weekend.)

Notes and context: Bruka is a core, everyday verb in Swedish and is commonly used to describe routines, habits, or customary practices. It can convey a sense of regularity that distinguishes it from actions described in a single, completed past tense. The term has cognates in related Scandinavian languages, reflecting shared roots in the region’s verbs about habit and use.