bäras

Bäras is a Swedish verb form that functions as the passive infinitive of bära, meaning to bear or to carry. It is used to express passive voice in non-finite clauses and in periphrastic constructions that do not involve a finite verb form. In practice, bäras appears in formal or written Swedish, including legal, administrative, and technical language, where non-active constructions are common.

In a sentence, bäras typically accompanies auxiliary or modal verbs to indicate that an action should or can be carried out by someone or something unspecified. When the agent of the action is stated, it is usually introduced with the preposition av. The form is non-finite, so it does not convey person or number on its own and relies on the surrounding verbs for those features.

Etymology and cognates: bäras derives from the Swedish verb bära, which in turn traces to the common Germanic verb for carrying or bearing. Related forms appear in other North Germanic languages, where analogous passive infinitives or present passive forms exist (for example, in Norwegian and Danish).

See also: bära, passive voice in Swedish, non-finite verb forms, Scandinavian linguistics.

Notes: bäras is distinct from the present passive bärs, which marks a current passive state, whereas bäras is the infinitive passive form used in non-finite constructions.