stjäl

Stjäl is a Swedish verb meaning to take someone else’s property without permission, i.e., to steal. It describes the act of theft and is used in everyday language as well as in reporting and legal contexts. The related noun is stöld, which names the crime, while something that has been stolen is described as stulen.

Etymology and cognates: Stjäl originates in the Swedish verb stjäla and has cognates in other Scandinavian languages, such as Danish stjæle and Norwegian stjele. It is part of the same Germanic language family as the English word steal.

Conjugation and forms: Stjäl is irregular in its conjugation. The present tense is stjäl and is used for all persons: jag stjäl, du stjäl, han/hon stjäl, vi stjäl, ni stjäl, de stjäl. The simple past tense is stal: jag stal, du stal, han stal, vi stal, ni stal, de stal. The supine is stulit, and with auxiliary har it forms the present perfect: jag har stulit, du har stulit, han har stulit, etc.

Usage notes: The verb takes a direct object (stjäla något). In addition to stjäl, Swedish has related terms for theft and crime, such as stöld (theft) and rån (robbery). In informal speech, synonyms or related expressions may be used in different contexts, but stjäl specifically denotes the act of stealing property.

Examples: Jag stjäl aldrig från andra. Igår stal han en bok. Har du stulit något? These illustrate present, past, and perfect usage across standard contexts.