följas

Följas is the passive infinitive form of the verb följa, meaning to be followed or to be complied with. In Swedish, passive voice can be formed in several ways, and följas appears mainly in non-finite clauses and with modal verbs. The finite passive is typically formed with the suffix -s on the present tense, as in följs (is followed).

Grammatical forms related to följas include the active forms of följa: present tense följer, past tense följde, and the participles följd (past participle). The passive forms include följdes (was/were followed) and the passive infinitive följas (to be followed). The noun följd exists as well, meaning a sequence or consequence, and the phrase en följd av expresses causation or consequence.

Usage and examples:

- Reglerna bör följas. (The rules should be followed.)

- Reglerna ska följas. (The rules are to be followed.)

- Det följs av kritik. (It is followed by criticism.)

- Kampanjen följdes av ett utökande intresse. (The campaign was followed by increased interest.)

Notes:

Följas can occur in passive constructions without an explicit subject, especially in formal or written Swedish, such as regulations, procedures, or instructions: “Det följs noggrant.” It can also appear with av to indicate what follows something: “följs av.” Etymology traces följa to Old Norse fylgja, with cognates in other Nordic languages; it is related to the general concept of accompanying or tracing a sequence.

See also: följa, följd, regler, avtal.