köpa

Köpa is a Swedish verb meaning to buy or to acquire by paying money. It is a transitive verb that requires a direct object, as in Jag köper en bok (I am buying a book). The verb covers purchases of goods, services, or digital content, and can also describe obtaining rights or access through payment, such as a license or subscription.

Conjugation of köpas forms the basic paradigm: present tense köper, past tense köpte, supine köpt. The past participle used in perfect tenses is köpt, and the imperative form is köp. In compound tenses it appears with auxiliary verbs, as in har köpt or hade köpt. The present participle is köpande. Swedish word order for statements with köpa generally follows subject–verb–object, with adverbials placed after the verb when appropriate.

Etymology and cognates: Köpa comes from Old Norse kaupa and is related to Danish købe and Norwegian kjøpe, with German kaufen as a close cognate. All derive from Proto-Germanic *kaupijaną. The English verb buy is a parallel Germanic development but is not a direct descendant of the Swedish form.

Usage notes: Köpa is common in everyday commerce, whether for groceries, clothing, or online services. Phrases such as köpa på kredit (to buy on credit) and köpa loss (to buy one’s freedom, by paying a sum) are established idioms. The noun köp refers to a purchase. In legal or consumer contexts, the term integrates with discussions of warranties, returns, and rights related to purchased goods and services.