månads

Månads is the genitive form of the Swedish noun månad (month) and is used to express duration or possession of a time period. It is not a standalone noun, but a grammatical form that accompanies numbers or determiners in phrases describing length of time.

Grammatical notes

In expressions that specify a duration, the form changes with number. After the indefinite article en, the genitive singular månads is used: en månads varsel (one month’s notice). When indicating multiple months, the genitive plural månaders is used: två månaders uppsägningstid (two months’ notice). In some contexts, especially formal or older usage, you may see similar constructs with other nouns or with alternative phrasing, but månads and månaders are the standard forms for this function.

Usage and examples

Common phrases include en månads varsel (one month’s notice) and två månaders uppsägningstid (two months’ notice). The construction is typically found in legal, administrative, or formal writing where the length of time is being specified. For calendar contexts, svenska writers often express time with the phrase utan att använda månadsform: under en månad, för en månad, eller i månadsvis sammanhang när en exakt genitiv isdesired.

Relation to related terms

Månad as a time unit remains the basic unit across Swedish. Related compounds include månadslön (monthly salary) and månadsavgift (monthly fee). The genitive forms månads and månaders are specifically used to denote duration in phrases that quantify time.

See also

Månad, månadslön, månadsavgift, kalendermånad.