A reciprocal pronoun expresses a mutual, two-way action: they help each other, we wrote to one another. Where English has the two-word phrases each other and one another, Swedish has a single clean word: varandra. This page covers varandra, its possessive varandras, and an important alternative — the reciprocal -s verbs (ses, träffas, slåss) — that express the same mutuality without any pronoun at all. The one thing you must keep straight is that reciprocal is not the same as reflexive, a line English draws clearly but learners often erase.
varandra: "each other / one another"
varandra is invariable — one form for everything — and functions as the object of the verb (or of a preposition). It always implies at least two parties acting on each other:
Vi hjälper varandra med läxorna.
We help each other with the homework. varandra = the mutual object: I help you, you help me.
De älskar varandra.
They love each other. A genuinely two-way feeling — each loves the other.
Barnen tittade på varandra och skrattade.
The children looked at each other and laughed. varandra after the preposition 'på'.
Because varandra is a single word, it never inflects: there is no plural, no gender, no separate "one another" form. Swedish simply doesn't distinguish each other from one another — both are varandra. English speakers sometimes hunt for a more "plural" form for three or more people; there isn't one, and varandra covers any number.
varandras: "each other's"
The genitive — each other's / one another's — is formed with the same possessive -s that nouns use: varandras. It sits before the possessed noun:
De gillar varandras idéer.
They like each other's ideas. varandras + noun — the ideas belonging to one another.
Vi lånar ofta varandras kläder.
We often borrow each other's clothes. (informal) varandras marks mutual possession.
Grannarna passar varandras barn ibland.
The neighbours look after each other's children sometimes. Possessed noun 'barn' follows directly.
Note there is no article after varandras — it works just like a possessive (Annas bok, varandras idéer), where the genitive already makes the noun definite.
The crucial contrast: varandra vs sig
This is the section that matters most. Swedish keeps a clean distinction that English also keeps — but which learners routinely blur:
- sig = themselves — each party acts on their own self (see The Reflexive Pronoun sig).
- varandra = each other — each party acts on the other party.
The difference is real, not pedantic. Watch what changes:
De tvättade sig.
They washed themselves. Each person washed his or her own body — reflexive.
De tittade på sig själva i spegeln.
They looked at themselves in the mirror. Each one looked at their own reflection — reflexive.
De tittade på varandra.
They looked at each other. Person A looked at person B and vice versa — reciprocal, a completely different event.
The danger zone is exactly the verbs where English would use a plural -self loosely. They love each other is De älskar varandra — using sig here (De älskar sig) does not mean "each other"; it means they love themselves, which is a different (and rather vain) statement. English's -self can drift toward a reciprocal reading in casual speech ("they were hugging themselves" said sloppily for "hugging each other"), but Swedish sig never does. If the meaning is mutual, you must use varandra.
The -s verbs: reciprocity baked into the verb
Swedish has a second, very common way to say "each other": certain verbs take an -s ending that builds the mutual meaning right into the verb, so no varandra is needed. These reciprocal -s verbs overlap in meaning with verb + varandra:
| -s verb | Meaning | ≈ with varandra |
|---|---|---|
| ses | see each other / meet | se varandra |
| träffas | meet (one another) | träffa varandra |
| möts / möttes | meet / met | möta varandra |
| kysses / kysstes | kiss / kissed (each other) | kyssa varandra |
| slåss | fight (each other) | slå varandra |
De möttes på stationen.
They met (each other) at the station. The -s on 'möttes' carries the mutual meaning — no varandra needed.
Ska vi ses i morgon?
Shall we see each other tomorrow? 'ses' = 'see each other / meet up', an everyday way to make plans.
Vi träffas på fredag.
We're meeting (each other) on Friday. träffas is the standard verb for arranging to meet.
De kysstes länge vid grinden.
They kissed (each other) for a long time at the gate. kysstes = past of the reciprocal kyssas.
Pojkarna slogs på skolgården.
The boys were fighting (each other) in the schoolyard. slåss/slogs is inherently reciprocal.
So De ser varandra and De ses are near-synonyms — the first uses the pronoun, the second folds the reciprocity into the verb. Some of these -s verbs (slåss, träffas) are so established that the -s form is the normal way to express the action; träffa varandra sounds slightly heavier than the crisp träffas. The general machinery of -s verbs is covered on S-Verbs.
Common Mistakes
❌ De älskar sig. (for 'they love each other')
Incorrect — 'sig' means 'themselves'. This says they love THEMSELVES, not each other.
✅ De älskar varandra.
They love each other.
❌ Vi hjälper oss. (for 'we help each other')
Incorrect — 'oss' is reflexive ('ourselves'); the mutual sense needs varandra.
✅ Vi hjälper varandra.
We help each other.
❌ De gillar varandra idéer. (missing the genitive -s)
Incorrect — 'each other's' is the possessive varandras, with -s.
✅ De gillar varandras idéer.
They like each other's ideas.
❌ Varandra hjälper oss. (varandra as subject)
Incorrect — varandra can only be an object, never the subject of a clause.
✅ Vi hjälper varandra.
We help each other.
❌ Ska vi se varandra och slå varandra? (where -s verbs are idiomatic)
Stiff — for 'meet up' and 'fight' the -s verbs are the natural choice: ses, slåss.
✅ Ska vi ses? / Pojkarna slogs.
Shall we meet up? / The boys were fighting.
Key Takeaways
- varandra = "each other / one another," one invariable word, always an object (never a subject).
- varandras = "each other's," the genitive, placed before the possessed noun with no article.
- Keep sig (themselves — each on their own self) apart from varandra (each other — mutual). De skadade sig ≠ De skadade varandra. Swedish never uses sig for "each other."
- The reciprocal -s verbs (ses, träffas, möts, kysses, slåss) bake mutuality into the verb and are often the more natural choice — Vi ses! is everyday Swedish for "See you!"
Now practice Swedish
Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.
Start learning Swedish→Related Topics
- The Reflexive Pronoun sigA2 — When the object of a verb is the same person as the subject, Swedish 1st and 2nd persons just reuse the ordinary object pronoun (jag tvättar mig, du tvättar dig) — but the 3rd person has a dedicated reflexive word, sig, for he/she/it/they/one. Using honom or henne instead of sig flips the meaning to 'someone else', a mistake English's '-self' suffix makes very easy to fall into.
- Deponent Verbs (s-verbs That Aren't Passive)B1 — A small but extremely common set of Swedish verbs that always end in -s yet mean something fully active: hoppas ('hope'), trivas ('feel at home'), lyckas ('succeed'), minnas ('remember'), andas ('breathe'), and — most importantly — finnas, the everyday verb for 'there is'. You never strip the -s, and you use one of these constantly without realising it forms a category.
- Reciprocal s-verbs (ses, träffas, slåss)B2 — A third job for the -s ending: 'each other'. With a plural subject, verbs like ses ('meet / see each other'), träffas ('meet'), kramas ('hug'), and slåss ('fight') express a mutual action — and the most common Swedish farewell of all, Vi ses!, is exactly this construction. Learn it once and you unlock a whole productive pattern.