stället

Stället is the definite singular form of the Swedish noun ställe, meaning place or location. It refers to a particular place, whether a physical site or an area designated for a specific purpose. In everyday language, stället can denote a location known from context, such as mitt ställe meaning my place or hangout, or ett trevligt ställe att fika meaning a nice place to have coffee.

Stället appears in compound nouns describing a place of activity or service. Examples include arbetsställe (workplace) and försäljningsställe (sales outlet). The definite form stället is used when referring to a known place: stället där vi möttes (the place where we met). The term is flexible across contexts, covering homes, venues, workplaces, and other designated sites.

Etymology and related forms: ställe derives from Old Norse staðr and Proto-Germanic *stādą, cognate with German Stelle and English stead, all indicating a specific place or position. The word belongs to a family of terms for location and is distinct from the noun ställ, which means a stand, rack, or scaffold.

Usage notes: stället is a general-purpose noun for location and is common in everyday Swedish as well as in formal compounds describing sites of activity or commerce. It is a versatile element in place-naming and expressions about where something happens or is located. In some contexts it can be interchangeable with synonyms like plats or lokal, depending on nuance.

See also: ställe, ställ. Related terms in Swedish on the concept of place or position include plats and lokal, while ställ refers to a stand or rack rather than a location.