stundar

Stundar is a Swedish term that can function in two related ways in modern usage. In standard Swedish, the noun form is arguably the base word “stund,” meaning a short period of time or a moment. The plural for this noun is “stunder” (and the definite plural is “stunderna”). The form “stundar” is not established as a standard plural for the noun. Instead, “stundar” is primarily encountered as the present tense form of the verb “stunda,” which means to devote time or effort to a task, to practice regularly, or to study intensively. The verb form is relatively formal or literary in tone.

Etymology and related forms. The word originates from Old Norse and is cognate with other Germanic terms for a point in time. In many Germanic languages, similar roots appear in words such as German Stunde and Danish stund, all referring to a moment, period, or hour. The Swedish noun “stund” and the verb “stunda” reflect this core idea of time spent or dedicating oneself to an activity.

Usage notes. As a noun, stund/stundar is used in phrases like en stund meaning a brief interval, with plural stunder for multiple moments. The verb form stundar appears in more formal or historical texts and in literary Swedish, conveying the sense of applying oneself to a task over time. In contemporary everyday speech, speakers more often use synonyms such as ägna sig åt or lägga ned tid på for the verb sense.

See also. Stund, Stunde. Related terms exist across the Scandinavian languages, reflecting the common Germanic heritage of time and effort concepts.