upplever

Upplever is a Swedish verb meaning to experience or to perceive. It is commonly used to describe a person’s subjective experience of events, sensations, or emotions, rather than objective facts alone. The sense includes physical feelings, moods, and interpretations of what is happening around or to someone.

In Swedish, upplever is the present tense form used for all subjects: jag upplever, du upplever, han upplever, vi upplever, ni upplever, de upplever. It is transitive and can take a direct object (uppleva något) or be followed by an att-clause that expresses a perception or belief (hon upplever att hon har förändrats).

Common constructions include uppleva något, meaning to experience something, and uppleva att + clause, meaning to feel or sense that something is true. The verb often conveys a subjective stance rather than a neutral report of facts: “Jag upplever det som svårt” (I find it difficult), “Hon upplever en stark smärta” (She experiences strong pain).

Upplever is closely related to the noun upplevelse (experience) and to the past participle upplevd (experienced). The form upplevelse refers to the event or phenomenon of experiencing, whereas upplevd describes something that has been experienced.

Etymology traces uppleva to the stem with the prefix upp- and the verb leva (to live), blending sense of living through or undergoing an experience. The term is common in everyday speech as well as in narratives, surveys, and reporting that emphasize personal perception.