återvände

Återvände is the preterite (simple past) form of the Swedish verb återvända, meaning to return or to come back. It is used to describe someone or something that has gone away and then came back, and it appears in narrative and reporting in the past tense. The form återvände is identical across all persons in the past tense, for example jag återvände, du återvände, han återvände, vi återvände, ni återvände, de återvände.

The verb återvända is formed from the prefix åter- meaning back or again and vända meaning to turn. The combination conveys the sense of turning back to a place, state, or relationship. The word has cognates in other Germanic languages, reflecting a shared concept of returning.

Grammatical forms related to återvända includePresent tense: återvänder; past tense: återvände; supine: återvänt; present participle: återvändande; past participle: återvänt. The perfect tense is formed with har återvänt (has returned). The noun form återvändande can mean the act of returning, or the process of returning someone or something.

Usage notes: återvände is common in neutral and formal writing, as well as in literature and journalism, to describe a completed return. It can apply to people returning to a country, a home, or a situation, and can be used metaphorically to indicate a return to a previous state or topic.

Example: Efter flera år återvände han till Sverige. This sentence illustrates a literal return to a place in the past.