varandra

Varandra is a Swedish reciprocal pronoun meaning “each other” or “one another.” It denotes a mutual relationship or action among two or more participants and is used with verbs that describe reciprocal activities, feelings, or relations. Common constructions include a finite verb followed by varandra, or a verb followed by med varandra or till varandra to emphasize reciprocity.

Examples include: de såg varandra (they saw each other), vi pratade med varandra (we talked with each other), and de hjälpte varandra (they helped one another). The form is versatile for any number of participants and does not change for gender or number. It is typically not used when a single person performs an action only on themselves; in such cases other forms, such as reflexive pronouns, are used.

Varandras is the possessive form meaning “each other’s.” It is used to modify a noun to indicate possession by members of the reciprocal pair or group, as in varandras åsikter (each other’s opinions) or varandras bilar (each other’s cars).

Etymology and related forms: varandra is a standard Swedish pronoun of Germanic origin. Similar reciprocal forms exist in other Scandinavian languages, such as Norwegian hverandre and Danish hinanden, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage.

Notes on usage: varandra is typically used without repeating the subject, once the mutual relationship is clear from context. In informal speech, speakers may place emphasis with prepositional phrases like med varandra or till varandra. The pronoun helps express reciprocity succinctly without listing each participant.