anmäla has two faces. Used with an object, it means "to report" or "to notify" — you report a crime, a fault, or an absence to an authority. Used reflexively as anmäla sig, it means "to sign up" or "to register" — for a course, a race, or an event. It is a Group 2 verb of the -de subtype, built from the old prefix an- on the rare verb mäla ("to declare"). Both senses, plus the noun en anmälan, share the same stem.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| anmäla | anmäler | anmälde | anmält | anmäl | Group 2 (-de) |
A regular Group 2 -de verb. The stem anmäl- ends in voiced -l, so the past is anmälde (with -de) and the supine is anmält. Note the ä in the stem — it stays ä in every form (anmäler, anmälde, anmält), and the imperative is the bare stem anmäl.
Use 1: anmäla — to report or notify
With a direct object, anmäla means reporting something formally to an authority — the police, an insurer, a school. The recipient is introduced with till or hos.
Jag vill anmäla ett inbrott — någon har brutit sig in i lägenheten.
I want to report a break-in — someone has broken into the flat. anmäla + object = report formally.
Hon anmälde olyckan till försäkringsbolaget direkt.
She reported the accident to the insurance company straight away. anmälde — the Group 2 -de past, recipient with till.
Grannarna har anmält honom till polisen.
The neighbours have reported him to the police. har anmält — the perfect, supine after har.
Du måste anmäla om barnet är sjukt och stannar hemma.
You have to report it if your child is ill and staying home. anmäla — notifying the school of an absence.
Use 2: anmäla sig — to sign up, register
Make the verb reflexive with sig (matched to the subject: mig, dig, sig, oss, er) and the meaning flips to "register oneself," "sign up." What you sign up for takes till.
Jag har anmält mig till kursen i svenska.
I've signed up for the Swedish course. anmäla sig till — register for something, supine anmält + mig.
Vi anmälde oss till loppet i sista minuten.
We signed up for the race at the last minute. anmälde oss — past, the reflexive matches the subject (oss).
Glöm inte att anmäla dig innan fredag — då stänger anmälan.
Don't forget to register before Friday — that's when registration closes. anmäla dig — imperative-like infinitive, reflexive dig.
The noun: en anmälan
The action noun en anmälan ("a report; a registration") is irregular — it has no plural -ar/-er and stays anmälan throughout. It covers both senses: a police report and a sign-up.
Din anmälan har tagits emot — du får en bekräftelse på mejl.
Your registration has been received — you'll get a confirmation by email. en anmälan = the sign-up.
Polisen har inlett en utredning efter anmälan.
The police have opened an investigation following the report. anmälan = the formal report here.
Common Mistakes
❌ Jag anmälte brottet. (wrong past ending)
Incorrect — the stem ends in voiced -l, so the past is -de: anmälde, not *anmälte.
✅ Jag anmälde brottet.
I reported the crime.
❌ Jag har anmält till kursen. (missing reflexive)
Incomplete — to sign up you must add the reflexive: anmäla sig. Without sig/mig it sounds like you reported the course.
✅ Jag har anmält mig till kursen.
I've signed up for the course.
❌ Jag anmälde mig brottet till polisen. (stray reflexive)
Wrong — reporting a thing takes no reflexive. Drop mig: you report the crime, you don't report yourself.
✅ Jag anmälde brottet till polisen.
I reported the crime to the police.
❌ Vi anmälde oss för loppet. (wrong preposition)
Off — you register till something, not för. The preposition is anmäla sig till.
✅ Vi anmälde oss till loppet.
We signed up for the race.
Now practice Swedish
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Start learning Swedish→Related Topics
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