tvärs

Tvärs is a Swedish adverb and preposition that describes crosswise orientation or movement—across, across the way, or transversely relative to a reference line or surface. It is used when something travels from one side to the opposite side or when something lies across another object. Common constructions include tvärs över and tvärs igenom. For example, Han gick tvärs över gatan means he crossed the street in a straight line, and Skivan låg tvärs över bordet means the disk lay across the table. Ett projekt kan också beskrivas som att det går tvärs igenom olika faser, depending on context, though the exact phrasing may vary with usage.

Etymology and related forms: Tvärs derives from the Swedish adjective tvär meaning crosswise or transverse, which in turn is related to cognates in other Nordic languages that express a similar crosswise sense. The core meaning has long been part of Swedish spatial vocabulary, used to mark directions and positions that cut across a space or object.

Usage notes: Tvärs is most common in everyday speech when describing physical movement or placement. It frequently occurs with prepositions such as över or igenom to specify the nature of the crossing. In technical or descriptive writing, the term appears in compound forms like tvärsnitt (cross-section), which preserves the crosswise sense in specialized terminology.

See also: cross-section (tvärsnitt).