omfatta

Omfatta is a Swedish verb meaning to include, to comprise, to cover, or to encompass. It is used to express that something has a certain extent or that it contains several parts, elements, or areas. The prefix om- adds a sense of surrounding or all-encompassing, while fatta means to grasp, so the sense often centers on the idea of taking in or spanning a whole.

Grammatical notes: omfatta is the infinitive form. The present tense is omfattar, the past tense is omfattade, and the supine is omfattat. In passive construction, the verb is ofta expressed as omfattas. The related adjective options include omfattad and especially omfattande, where omfattande means broad or extensive. The noun form for scope or extent is omfattning, used to refer to the overall range or size of something.

Usage and nuances: omfatta is commonly used to describe the content or reach of something, such as a text, plan, organization, or law. Examples include “Boken omfattar 320 sidor” (The book comprises 320 pages), “Projektet omfattar flera avdelningar” (The project covers several departments), and “Lagarna omfattas av EU-förordningar” (The laws are covered by EU regulations). Compared with synonyms like innehålla or innefatta, omfatta emphasizes totality and span rather than merely listing components.

See also: related terms in Swedish include omfattning for scope, omfattande as an adjective meaning extensive, and innefatta as a closer synonym implying inclusion of elements. In English, omfatta is often translated as to encompass, to include, or to comprise.