efterlämna

Efterlämna is a Swedish verb meaning to leave behind, to bequeath, or to leave as a legacy. It is used for both material possessions and intangible legacies, such as memories or obligations, and can refer to actions taken during a person’s life or after death. In legal contexts, efterlämna describes the act of bequeathing property to heirs through a will. The related noun efterlämnande refers to the act of leaving behind or the resulting legacy, while the past participle afterlämnat/efterlämnat and adjectives such as efterlämnad describe things that have been left behind.

Etymology and forms: The term combines efter- (“after”) with lämna (“to leave”). The language uses various forms to reflect tense and agreement, for example, efterlämnar (present), efterlämnarna (plural), efterlämnat (neuter singular past participle), and efterlämnade (past tense).

Usage: Common in both everyday Swedish and formal texts. Examples: “Han efterlämnade sina tillgångar till sina barn.” (He bequeathed his assets to his children.) “Efterlämnade minnen” can be used poetically to describe memories left by someone. In law, one might refer to “en egendom som efterlämnats enligt testamentet” or “den efterlämnade egendomen” to denote the estate left by a deceased person. The concept is closely linked to inheritance practices and is discussed in contexts such as testamentary dispositions and inheritance law.

See also: Will (testamente), inheritance law (ärvdabalken), legacy, bequest, estate.