gärningen

Gärningen is a Swedish noun meaning the act, deed, or action carried out by a person. It is used across legal, ethical, and everyday language to refer to the concrete conduct itself, rather than motives or outcomes. The word is formed from the verb göra (to do) with the -ning nominalization suffix, yielding a term that denotes an act or undertaking.

In law, gärning denotes the objective act that may be punishable. In Swedish criminal procedure and sentencing, distinctions are made between the gärning (the act) and the mental state of the offender, such as uppsåt (intent) or oaktsamhet (negligence). The term is common in regulations, case descriptions, and statutory language describing what was done.

In ethics and moral philosophy, the concept is used to analyze actions as opposed to intentions or dispositions. Philosophers debate what makes an act a morally relevant deed, how consequences should be weighed, and whether moral appraisal hinges on the act itself or the agent’s mental state at the moment of acting.

In everyday usage, gärning can describe any performed action, from routine tasks to significant deeds. In religious and cultural contexts, the word often collocates with adjectives like goda (good) to discuss virtuous deeds or ethical appraisal of actions.