fängslade

Fängslade is a Swedish verb form derived from the infinitive fängsla, meaning to imprison or to capture. The primary sense is literal, as in confining someone, but the term is also used figuratively to mean captivating or enthralling. In usage, fängsla can describe both detention and enthrallment, depending on context. The present participle form fängslande is used for things that are captivating or engaging, as in en fängslande berättelse.

Etymology and related forms: The verb belongs to the Swedish Germanic vocabulary and has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish fængsl e and Norwegian fengsle, which carry a similar meaning of imprisoning or detaining. Modern Swedish patterns the verb in a regular way: fängsla (infinitive), fängslade (past tense), and hyphenated formations like har fängslat to form perfect tenses. The past participle forms used in passive or perfect constructions align with gender and tense, for example han blev fängslad (he was imprisoned) and jag har fängslat (I have imprisoned/captured).

Usage and examples: In legal or news contexts, fängsla appears in phrases describing detention or imprisonment, e.g., Polisen fängslade mannen. In literary and rhetorical contexts, fängslande is common to describe something that grips the audience, as in en fängslande roman or boken var fängslande. The verb can also appear in fixed expressions to convey detainment or capture, and the broader figurative sense of captivating an audience is widely understood in everyday Swedish.

See also: The related noun fängelse refers to a prison or jail, while the term fängslingsprocessen denotes detention or imprisonment procedures in law. The word family also includes fängsla in its various inflected forms used across tenses and voices.