färsk

Färsk is a Swedish adjective meaning fresh or newly produced, used for things whose quality is tied to recent creation or short time since purchase. It is commonly applied to food and groceries, but can also describe information, ideas, or memories that are up to date or newly obtained. In everyday language, phrases such as färsk potatis (new potatoes), färsk fisk (fresh fish), and färska grönsaker (fresh vegetables) are typical examples. The term may also appear in compounds like färskvara, referring to perishable goods, and färskpressad juice.

Etymology and related forms: Färsk derives from North Germanic roots and has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian fersk and Danish frisk, reflecting a common Germanic lineage meaning “fresh” or “recent.” In Swedish grammar, färsk inflects to agree with gender and number and appears in forms such as färskt (neuter singular) and färska (plural). It is closely related to but distinct from fräsch, which more often conveys a sense of cleanliness, neatness, or pleasant appearance rather than freshness of production.

Usage notes: The term is versatile in modern Swedish. It is often used with food items to emphasize quality and safety, especially in markets and menus. Beyond food, färsk can modify nouns to indicate up-to-date information or newly created works, as in färsk information. In contrast, färskhet denotes the quality or state of being fresh, i.e., freshness itself.

See also: färskvara, färskhet, färska nyheter, färsk potatis, färskpotatis, färskt bröd, fräsch.