kännas

Kännas is a Swedish verb meaning to feel in a subjective sense or to seem. It is primarily used as an intransitive or passive-like verb and is often used with det or with a subordinate clause rather than with a direct object. Kännas describes how something appears or how one experiences a sensation.

Common constructions include: with adjectives to express a perception, as in det känns varmt, det känns bra, det känns svårt; with a clause introduced by som eller att, as in det känns som att något är fel eller det känns som om allt stämmer. The expression conveys personal perception or impression rather than an objective fact.

Grammatical forms and tense: present is känns; past is kändes; present perfect is har känts; pluperfect is hade känts; future is kommer att kännas or det kommer kännas. The infinitive is kännas. Kännas is typically not used with a direct object; instead it accompanies adjectives or subordinate clauses that describe how something seems or feels.

Nuance och usage: kännas covers both physical sensations (det känns varmt) and subjective impressions (det känns som att något är fel). In some contexts, kännas can be replaced by verka or framstå when stressing an external appearance or external assessment, while kännas emphasizes personal perception. Etymologically, kännas derives from känna (to feel/know) with a suffix that forms an impersonal or reflexive-like construction.

See also related words such as känna and känsla, which refer to the broader notions of feeling and perception.