födda

Födda is the past participle of the verb födas (to be born) in Swedish. Used as an adjective, it describes someone or something that has been born. It can refer to a place or time of birth, as in “födda i Sverige” (born in Sweden) or “födda på 1990-talet” (born in the 1990s). It can also function as a noun phrase when used with a definite article, as in “de födda” (the born; the people who were born).

Grammar: The form född is used for singular references, while födda is the plural form and the definite plural form. The forms agree with the noun they modify: “en född person” (a born person) versus “flera födda personer” (several born people).

Etymology: Född derives from the verb födas, with roots in Old Norse fœðr and related Proto-Germanic origins. Cognates appear in Danish (fødte) and Norwegian (født/fødde), reflecting a shared Germanic heritage.

Usage: In statistics and civil registration, “antal födda” means the number of births. In biographical writing, it marks place of birth: “hon är född i Göteborg.” In everyday Swedish, the term functions similarly to an English “born” when describing people, animals, or other subjects, and contrasts with terms related to death or aging as part of identity and origin.

See also: födsel, född.