tända

Tända is a Swedish verb meaning to light or ignite, and to switch on something that emits light or heat. It is used with candles, fires, lamps, stoves, and electrical devices, and refers to starting combustion or illumination. The verb can be used both literally and in extended senses, such as starting a process or triggering interest.

Origins and cognates: The form tända comes from Old Swedish and is cognate with Danish tænde and Norwegian tenne; the etymology traces to a common Nordic root related to lighting and ignition, with attested Old Norse forms. The word’s basic meaning has remained stable across the Nordic languages.

Conjugation: Infinitive tända; present tense tänder; past tense tände; past participle tänt; imperative tänd. Present perfect is formed with har tänt (e.g., jag har tänt ljuset); pluperfect with hade tänt. The verb is transitive and commonly takes an object (ljuset, elden, lampan).

Usage and phrases: Common collocations include tända ljuset, tända ett ljus, tända en brasa, and tända lampan. The opposite verb is släcka (to extinguish or switch off). In everyday speech, tända may be used metaphorically to mean starting something or increasing energy, but it is most often literal.

Variants and related terms: tändsticka (match), tändare (lighter), tändnings- as a prefix in compounds; expressions such as tända upp, and in some contexts the phrasal tända på, which in informal speech can carry sexual meaning.