älskar

älskar is the present tense form of the Swedish verb älska, meaning to love. It is used for all grammatical persons in the present tense: jag älskar, du älskar, han/hon älskar, vi älskar, ni älskar, de älskar. The verb takes a direct object, as in Jag älskar dig or Jag älskar choklad. The emotional range ranges from strong affection to romantic love, but the phrase is also used in broader contexts, such as appreciating something deeply.

Etymology and cognates: älska comes from Old Norse elska, and is related to the Danish elske and Norwegian elske. The modern Swedish form features the stem älsk- with the umlauted vowel ä. This family of verbs shows similar semantics across the North Germanic languages.

Grammar and forms: älska is a strong verb. The simple past tense is älskade, and the past participle is älskat. The perfect construction uses har älskat (have loved). The adjective form is älskad, meaning beloved or loved, and the present participle älskande can function as an adjective meaning loving.

Usage notes: älska expresses deep affection and is more intense than gilla (like) or tycka om (care for). It appears in everyday speech, literature, and music, and is common in phrases such as Jag älskar dig (I love you) and älskar du mig? (Do you love me?). In contemporary Swedish it can be used for romantic, familial, or platonic affection depending on context.