tjänar

Tjänar is the present tense form of the Swedish verb tjäna, which has the core meaning of earning or delivering a service. In practical use it describes earning money through work or activity, as in hon tjänar mycket pengar (she earns a lot of money). The verb can also be used in broader senses related to providing a benefit or service, and in expressions where the action is directed toward a goal or recipient.

Grammatically, tjäna is a regular -ar verb. The present tense is tjänar, tidigare forms include tjänade for the past tense and har tjänat for the perfect. Common examples include jag tjänar pengar, du tjänar pengar, han tjänar pengar. The phrase tjäna på something means to profit from or gain from that thing, for example företaget tjänar på den nya produkten (the company profits from the new product).

Usage and scope: tjäna används predominantly with nouns referring to money or income, but can also appear in phrases that describe earning in a livelihood or a broader utility. It is frequently used in discussions about work, compensation, and economic activity, as well as in idiomatic expressions such as tjäna pengar på något (to earn money from something) and tjäna som (to serve as or function as) in less common, more formal contexts.

Etymology and related forms: the verb tjäna and its present tense tjänar have cognates in other Scandinavian languages, notably Norwegian and Danish where tjen(a)e similarly means to earn or to serve. This reflects a shared Germanic linguistic heritage. In Swedish, the form tjänar is the standard present tense used across subjects.