tidsledd

In Swedish grammar a tidsled is a subordinate clause that provides temporal information, indicating when an action takes place, how long it lasts, or in what temporal context it occurs. The clause is introduced by a time‑related conjunction or preposition, such as när, då, innan, efter, medan, under, under tiden och om. Like all subordinate clauses in Swedish, a tidsled moves the verb to the final position of the clause.

Tidsleds are used to link actions in narrative or description, clarify the sequence of events, and give additional detail about the temporal setting. For instance, in the sentence “Han skrev brevet när han var hemma” the clause “när han var hemma” is a tidsled that explains the timing of the writing. In “Efter att ha lagat maten åt sig, gick de på bio” the subordinate clause “efter att ha lagat maten” functions as a temporal marker for the subsequent action.

Unlike a simple adverbial phrase, a tidsled contains a subject and a verb, thereby forming a complete clause. They are essential for complex sentence structures and are distinguished from other subordinate clauses such as rykteled (describing reputation or rumor) or ordningsled (regarding order relations). Tidsleds often influence the perceived rhythm of a sentence, providing a natural pause and allowing the reader to place events in a clear, chronological framework.