sägs

Sägs is the present passive form of the Swedish verb säga (to say). It is used to indicate that something is said or believed, without specifying who is saying it. Common impersonal constructions include phrases like Det sägs att …, meaning “It is said that …” or “People say …”

Grammar and usage

In Swedish, many verbs form a passive present by adding the -s ending to the finite verb. Säga yields sägas in the present passive. The sentence often uses a dummy subject such as Det, as in Det sägs att priset will fall. Because sägs is passive, the agent doing the saying is typically unidentified, which allows the statement to function as a report of hearsay or conventional wisdom rather than a verified claim.

Function and nuance

Sägs signals that the information is reported or believed by some source, but not confirmed by the speaker. It is common in journalism, commentary, and casual conversation for hedging, politeness, or to avoid asserting responsibility. The expression can render statements less forceful and less attributable to a specific person or organization.

Related forms

The past passive form is sades, as in Det sades tidigare att …, meaning “It was said previously that …” The infinitive passive is att sägas, used in phrases describing the act of being said.

Examples

Det sägs att byggandet kommer att starta nästa månad. It is said that construction will start next month.

Det sägs ofta att Stockholm är säkrare än andra städer. It is often said that Stockholm is safer than other cities.