Återhämtat

Återhämtat is a Swedish past participle of the verb återhämta, and is used primarily as an adjective and in perfect tenses. It denotes that someone or something has regained a former state, most commonly health or strength, after illness, injury, fatigue, or a disruption. In everyday language you will often hear the phrase “har återhämtat sig,” meaning “has recovered.”

Etymology and form: the word is built from åter, meaning again or back, and hämta, meaning to fetch or bring back. The sense is that the state has been brought back to its previous condition. As a participle it agrees with the noun it modifies: for ett- nouns the neuter singular form is återhämtat (e.g., ett återhämtat tillstånd), and for en- nouns the attributive form is typically återhämtad (e.g., en återhämtad person). In verb phrases it appears as the supine/perfekt participle “återhämtat,” as in “har återhämtat sig.”

Usage and nuance: återhämtat is most common in medical or general contexts describing recovery after illness, surgery, or fatigue, and in discussions of recovery within communities or economies. It can describe a state that has been regained after a process or disturbance. For example, “Hon har återhämtat sig efter influensan,” or “Regionen har återhämtat sig ekonomiskt efter krisen.”

Related terms: återhämtning (recovery, recuperation), tillfrisknande (convalescence, recovery of health), and rehabilitering (rehabilitation). Återhämtat is distinct from these nouns but closely connected to the idea of returning to a previous, healthier or stable state.