måneden

Måneden is the definite form of the Swedish noun månad, meaning “the month.” It is used to refer to a specific calendar month, as opposed to the general concept of a month.

In Swedish, månad has the following forms: en månad (an month), månader (months). The definite singular is månaden, and the definite plural is månaderna. In practice, speakers also use determinered phrases such as denna månad (this month) or den sista månaden av året (the last month of the year) to express specificity.

Common usage includes expressions for time references after a month has been singled out, for example förra månaden (last month) or den månaden var kall. When speaking about a month by name, it is typical to use the month name itself (januari, februari, etc.), while tetap referring to it more broadly with denna månad or månaden in formal or emphatic contexts.

Etymology and related languages: måneden derives from the Swedish månad and shares cognates with Danish måned and Norwegian måned. The form reflects common Germanic roots for the word for month, and these languages maintain similar definite forms: måneden (Danish) and måneden (Norwegian) in comparable contexts.

See also: calendar, month, Swedish grammar, list of months.