svänga

Svänga is a Swedish verb meaning to move or cause to move in an arc or to turn away from a current path. It covers both physical movement, such as a pendulum or a branch moving, and the act of changing direction, as when a vehicle or person alters course. The word is versatile and appears in everyday speech, driving instructions, and descriptive writing.

Etymology and related forms: svänga derives from the noun sväng, meaning a turn or swing. It is related to other Germanic languages, for example Danish svinge and Norwegian svinge. The infinitive svänga forms the basis for various tenses and participles. The present tense is svänger, the past tense is svängde, and the supine is svängt. The present participle is svängande.

Usage and senses: Intransitive use often describes objects moving back and forth or in an arc, as in Trädet svänger i vinden (The tree sways in the wind). Transitive or directional use covers turning or steering, such as Bilen svängde av till vänster (The car turned off to the left). In driving, sväng vänster or sväng höger is a common instruction meaning “turn left” or “turn right.” The phrasal verb svänga av denotes turning off a road or path. An idiomatic expression is svänga på svansen, meaning to wag one’s tail.

Notes: The verb can appear with separable constructions (svänga av) and, in perfect forms, uses har svängt av or har svängt. As with many Swedish verbs, it pairs with adverbs and directional words to convey precise motion or direction.

See also: sväng, svänga runt, sväng vänster, sväng höger, idioms involving svänga.