sammanfalla

Sammanfalla is a Swedish verb meaning to occur at the same time or to coincide, often describing events, circumstances, or facts that align temporally or spatially. The sense can cover both temporal coincidence (two things happening together in time) and spatial or contextual alignment (two elements fitting together in a larger arrangement).

Etymology and usage

The word is formed from samman- meaning together and falla meaning to fall, in a figurative sense “to fall together.” In practice, sammanfalla is used when two or more items are observed to coincide. It is common to say that händelser sammanfaller i tiden or att något sammanfaller med något annat, with the emphasis on timing or alignment.

Conjugation

Sammanfalla is conjugated as a regular Swedish verb in the present tense sammanfaller, in the past tense sammanföll, and with the perfect form har sammanfallit. The participle sammanfallit functions as a past participle in compound tenses.

Examples

Händelserna sammanfaller i tiden. The events coincide in time.

Lanseringen sammanfaller med semestern. The launch coincides with the vacation period.

Notes

Sammanfalla is primarily used for temporal coincidence but can also describe overlapping conditions or arrangements that fit together. It is distinct from verbs focusing on causation or deliberate coordination and tends to emphasize natural or observed alignment rather than intentional action.