föräldrars

Föräldrars is the genitive plural form of the Swedish noun förälder (parent). It denotes something that belongs to or relates to the parents. In Swedish, the possessive is typically formed by adding the suffix -s to the noun, without an apostrophe. When the noun is in plural form, the possessive becomes föräldrars, meaning “the parents’.”

The term is used to link a property, obligation, or characteristic to both or all parents. It appears in common phrases such as föräldrars ansvar (the parents’ responsibility), föräldrars rättigheter (the parents’ rights), and föräldrars synpunkter (the parents’ viewpoints). These constructions are frequent in discussions about family policy, education, child welfare, and media reporting on families.

Föräldrars is typically found as part of noun phrases headed by other nouns, rather than as a standalone concept. A related word is föräldrarskap, which means parenthood or the state of being a parent and is formed without using the genitive suffix. Another related term is förälder, the singular form meaning “a parent.” Grammar-wise, föräldrars functions as a possessive modifier that attributes the head noun to the parents.

See also: förälder, föräldrarskap, genitiv (possessive case) in Swedish.