hjälpare

Hjälpare is a Swedish noun that denotes a person who helps others, i.e., an assistant or helper. The term is versatile and widely used to refer to volunteers, staff, colleagues, or any individual providing aid in a task or project. It is a neutral term suitable for both informal and formal contexts.

Etymology and related forms: Hjälpare is formed from hjälp, meaning help, with the agentive suffix -are, a common pattern in Swedish for job or role names. The word has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish hjælper and the English helper. It appears in Swedish texts from older periods and remains common today.

Grammar and inflection: Hjälpare is a common gender noun. Indefinite singular: en hjälpare. Indefinite plural: hjälpare. Definite singular: hjälparen. Definite plural: hjälparna. The indefinite plural form is typically identical to the singular form, with the definite form showing the usual -en (singular) and -na (plural) endings.

Usage and context: In everyday language, hjälpare can refer to someone who assists in a broad range of settings, including family, education, workplaces, and community life. In professional contexts, it may describe staff members who support a supervisor or team, such as associates, aides, or assistants, though more specific titles (e.g., assistent, medhjälpare) are also common. In religious translations, the term can appear in the sense of a spiritual “helper,” depending on the text.

See also: medhjälpare, assistent, hjälp (help), hjälpmittel (aid devices, where applicable).