brännas

Brännas is a Swedish verb form that functions as the passive infinitive of bränna, meaning to be burned. It denotes a state in which something is subjected to burning, rather than performing the burning itself. In modern Swedish, brännas appears mainly in non-finite clauses and in more formal or literary contexts.

In everyday use, the finite present passive is bränns, as in sentences describing a subject being burned by something: for example, trädet bränns av elden (the tree is burned by the fire). The phrase brännas is also used in combination with particles in phrasal verbs such as brännas upp (to burn up) and brännas ner (to burn down). The non-finite form att brännas means “to be burned” and can appear in subordinate clauses or as part of an instruction or description.

Etymology and related forms: brännas derives from bränna, itself from Old Norse brenna and Proto-Germanic *brinnaną; cognates include German brennen and English burn. The form brännas shares roots with other Swedish passive forms that add the suffix -s to create a passive meaning.

Usage notes: brännas contrasts with the active bränna (to burn something) and with brinna (to burn, intransitive). The -s passive is a productive feature in Swedish, used in many verbs to form a passive voice in finite clauses, while brännas specifically marks the non-finite passive or is used in fixed expressions involving burning.

See also: bränna, brinna, brännas upp, brännas ner.