ärm

ärm is a Swedish noun meaning the sleeve of a garment—the part that covers the arm from shoulder to wrist. It is distinct from the body part arm, which is written arm in Swedish; the English close equivalent is also “sleeve.” A garment may have a short or long sleeve, and phrases such as långärmad (long-sleeved) are common in fashion language.

In Swedish, ärm is aen-word (common gender). The forms are: indefinite singular en ärm; definite singular ärmen; indefinite plural ärmar; definite plural ärmarna.

Usage examples include: en kort ärm (a short sleeve), en långärmad tröja (a long-sleeved sweater), and i ärmen (in the sleeve). Ärmar can describe sleeves on coats, shirts, dresses, and other garments, and the word appears in garment specifications, fashion writing, and everyday description.

The term is primarily tied to clothing and design rather than anatomy. The related concept for the body limb is arm, distinct in both meaning and spelling. In clothing contexts, ärm is often combined with adjectives to specify length, fabric, or style, such as uppvikt ärm (rolled-up sleeve) or spetsärm (lace sleeve).

Notes for learners: pay attention to the umlaut in ärm, which separates sleeve from the arm in Swedish orthography. The plural form ärmar is used for multiple sleeves, and ärmarna refers to “the sleeves.”