genomföra means "to carry out, implement, conduct," and it is the verb you reach for whenever a plan, a reform, a study or a decision is actually put into effect. Structurally it is genom- ("through") + föra ("lead, carry"), so it inherits föra's conjugation cell for cell: a Group 2 -de verb with the principal parts genomföra – genomför – genomförde – genomfört. The image inside the word is "to carry something through to the end," which is exactly what English carry out and implement express. It belongs to a slightly formal register — committee minutes, news reports, project plans — rather than casual chat.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| genomföra | genomför | genomförde | genomfört | genomför | Group 2 (-de), prefixed föra |
The one trap is the present. Because föra ends in -ra, its stem already ends in r (för), and Swedish does not add a second -er on top of it. So the present is genomför, never genomförer. The past adds -de to that stem (genomförde) and the supine adds -t (genomfört) — the textbook Group 2 endings. The imperative is identical to the bare present stem, genomför, though in practice you rarely command someone to "implement!"
Regeringen genomför reformen i flera steg.
The government is carrying out the reform in several stages. Present genomför — the -r stem takes no extra -er.
Vi genomförde en stor undersökning förra året.
We conducted a large survey last year. Past genomförde — Group 2 -de.
Bytet har genomförts utan problem.
The switch has been carried out without problems. Supine genomförts (passive); active supine is genomfört.
Use 1: carrying out a plan, reform or decision
The core meaning is to put something into effect — to take a plan, decision, reform or change from paper into reality. The object is almost always abstract and "carriable through": en reform, ett beslut, en förändring, ett projekt, ett byte.
Det blir svårt att genomföra alla förändringar samtidigt.
It'll be hard to implement all the changes at once.
Styrelsen beslutade att genomföra besparingarna direkt.
The board decided to carry out the savings measures immediately.
Planen ser bra ut på papper, men kan vi genomföra den?
The plan looks good on paper, but can we actually pull it off?
Use 2: conducting a study, survey or test
In research and administrative Swedish, genomföra is the standard verb for running a study, survey, experiment, interview or inspection — anything you set up and see through from start to finish.
Forskarna genomförde experimentet under kontrollerade förhållanden.
The researchers conducted the experiment under controlled conditions.
Vi har genomfört över hundra intervjuer.
We've carried out more than a hundred interviews. Perfect har genomfört.
En ny mätning ska genomföras nästa månad.
A new measurement is to be carried out next month. Passive infinitive genomföras.
Use 3: the noun ett genomförande
The action noun is ett genomförande ("an implementation, the carrying-out"). It is extremely common in formal prose, often as vid genomförandet av ("when implementing") or under genomförandet ("during the implementation").
Genomförandet av projektet drog ut på tiden.
The implementation of the project dragged on. The noun ett genomförande.
Under genomförandet upptäckte vi flera fel.
During the carrying-out we discovered several errors.
Common Mistakes
❌ Företaget genomförer en omorganisation.
Incorrect — föra's stem already ends in r, so you don't add a second -er. The present is genomför.
✅ Företaget genomför en omorganisation.
The company is carrying out a reorganisation.
❌ Vi genomförade undersökningen i mars.
Wrong ending — this is a Group 2 -de verb (it inherits föra), so the past is genomförde, not the Group 1 -ade.
✅ Vi genomförde undersökningen i mars.
We conducted the survey in March.
❌ Reformen har genomfördt.
Misspelled supine — the supine of a -de verb ends in -t on the stem: genomfört, not genomfördt.
✅ Reformen har genomförts.
The reform has been carried out. (passive supine; active would be har genomfört)
❌ Vi måste genomgå planen i tid.
Wrong prefix verb — genomgå means 'undergo / go through (an experience)'. To put a plan into effect you need genomföra.
✅ Vi måste genomföra planen i tid.
We have to carry out the plan on time.
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Start learning Swedish→Related Topics
- Using the Verb ReferenceA2 — How to read the single-verb reference cards and the principal-parts citation system that underpins them. Every Swedish verb is cited as a short chain — infinitive – present – preteritum – supine – (past participle) — because every other form is derivable from those parts. This page decodes one weak verb (tala – talar – talade – talat) and one strong verb (skriva – skriver – skrev – skrivit – skriven), explains the conjugation-group labels (1/2/3/4), and gives a key to everything on a card.
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- Prefixed (Inseparable) Verbs (förstå, bestämma)B2 — Swedish has two opposite verb-building systems: native particles that are STRESSED and split off (stå ut), and borrowed prefixes be-, för-, an-, und-, er- that are UNSTRESSED, glued on, and never separate (förstå, bestämma). Stress placement alone tells you which system a verb belongs to.