jämför

Jämför is the present tense form of the Swedish verb jämföra, meaning to compare. It is used when describing the act of evaluating two or more items by examining their similarities and differences. The word also appears in the imperative mood as "Jämför!" to tell someone to perform a comparison. The infinitive is jämföra, with related forms such as jämförde (past), jämfört (supine), and jämförd (perfect passive participle). The noun form is jämförelse, referring to the act or result of comparing.

Etymology and meaning: Jämför derives from the root jäm-, meaning equal or even, combined with föra, to bring or carry. The sense is to bring items onto an equal basis to assess them. This reflects the core idea of evaluating items side by side to determine similarities, differences, or relative merit. The term is standard in both everyday language and formal writing.

Usage: Jämför is commonly used in consumer guidance, research, education, and journalism. It is followed by a direct object indicating what is being compared, for example, "att jämföra priser" (to compare prices) or "jämföra olika alternativ" (to compare different options). The preposition "med" is typically used when contrasting something with another item, as in "jämföra med tidigare modell" (compare with the previous model).

See also: jämförelse (a comparison), jämförande (comparative, as in grammatical or analytical contexts), and related terms in Swedish vocabulary about analysis and evaluation.