utgöra

Utgöra is a Swedish verb used to describe what something constitutes, forms, or makes up as part of a whole. It can be translated as “to constitute,” “to form,” “to comprise,” or “to amount to.” The verb is transitive and typically requires a direct object in the following noun phrase, indicating the component or result that defines the whole.

Conjugation and forms: In present tense the form is utgör; in the past tense it is utgjorde; the supine form is utgjort. The perfect and pluperfect are formed with har utgjort and hade utgjort, respectively. A present participle form, utgörande, is used adjectivally or as a noun modifier, as in utgörande del (constituting part).

Usage notes: Utgöra is often used in formal, analytical, or legal-language contexts to express that something is a component or basis of a larger entity, or that something amounts to a certain figure. It differs from synonyms like bestå av (to consist of) in that utgöra emphasizes the role of the item as a defining part or benchmark rather than merely being present as a component.

Examples:

- Det utgör en betydande del av företagets omsättning. It constitutes a significant part of the company’s turnover.

- Dessa två faktorer utgör grunden för vår slutsats. These two factors constitute the basis for our conclusion.

- Av de svarande utgjorde kvinnor majoriteten. Women constituted the majority of the respondents.

- Brottet utgör ett brott mot lagen. The act constitutes a crime under the law.

Etymology: Utgöra is formed from ut- (prefix meaning outward or away, here contributing to the sense of forming or defining) and göra (to do, to make), giving the sense of “make up” or “form.”