omvändas

Omvändas is a Swedish verb in the passive voice meaning to be turned, changed in direction, or converted. It is used when something or someone is subjected to a reversal, a transformation of beliefs or affiliations, or a physical turning. In religious contexts it most often denotes conversion to a different faith, but it can also refer to reversing a decision, policy, or general change of stance.

Origin and form: The verb is built from the root vända (to turn) with the prefix om-, which signals reversal or return. In common usage, omvändas appears in passive constructions formed with the -s suffix or with auxiliary constructions such as bli. The present passive is omvänds, and the past passive is omvändes. The active form is omvända (to convert, to turn something).

Usage notes: Omvändas is frequently used in discussions of religious conversion, where people are described as omvänds till en tro. It can also describe broader reversals, such as changes in opinion or policy, e.g., "Efter debatten omvändes opinionen" (After the debate, public opinion was reversed). In many cases the more natural colloquial wording is bli omvänd (to become converted) or de blev omvända, depending on tense and voice.

See also: omvändelse (conversion or reversal, the noun form), konversion (loanword). Related concepts include vända and andra ord för förändring och omvandling.

In sum, omvändas conveys the idea of being turned or converted, with primary use in passive constructions to describe changes in beliefs, directions, or policies.