nóven

Näven is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun näve, meaning a closed hand formed into a fist, or a handful of material held in one hand. In everyday Swedish, näven refers to the physical state of a clenched fist, or to a small amount of something that can be held in the hand. The word is used both for literal descriptions and in figurative phrases.

As a unit of measure in informal speech, en näve describes approximately the amount that can be held in one hand, such as a handful of herbs, nuts, or salt. The exact quantity varies with the size of the hand and the shape of the item.

Grammatical notes: näven is the definite singular form; the indefinite singular is näve, and the plural is nävar, with the definite plural being nävarna. The term belongs to everyday language rather than a specialized technical register.

In Swedish culture and literature, näven appears in idioms and descriptions of action involving the hand, such as striking with a näve or grasping something firmly. It also surfaces in historical or descriptive texts when portraying manual labor, fighting, or everyday physical tasks. Overall, näven functions as a practical term for describing both the physical hand when clenched and the amount of something held by the hand, with clear usage in both concrete and figurative contexts.