böjningen

Böjningen, Swedish for inflection or declension, is the process by which words change form to express grammatical categories such as number, definiteness, tense, mood, and gender. The term is used across languages, but the exact system varies. In Swedish, modern inflection is relatively compact compared with languages with extensive case systems, yet it governs how nouns, adjectives, pronouns, numerals, and verbs agree with each other in a sentence.

Nouns show number and definiteness. Most Swedish nouns form a plural and can take a definite form, either by a suffix or with a definite article. Examples: bok (book), boken (the book), böcker (books), böckerna (the books).

Adjectives inflect for degree and for agreement with the noun in number and definiteness. Common patterns include positive, comparative, and superlative forms such as stor, större, största; and röd, rödare, rödast. When the noun is definite, adjectives also take a definite form, as in den röda bilen.

Verbs are conjugated for tense, mood, voice, and person/number in finite forms. A typical verb such as tala shows present: talar; past: talade; supine/past participle used with perfect tenses: talat. The verb vara shows irregular forms: är (present), var (past), varit (supine/participle). Swedish also uses participles and passive constructions built from inflected forms.

Böjningen underpins sentence structure and meaning, enabling speakers to signal who does what, when, and under what conditions. Inflection systems differ widely between languages, from highly inflected to largely analytic with more emphasis on word order and particles.