hämta means "to fetch, to pick up, to collect" — to go somewhere, get a person or thing, and bring it back. It is the verb you use for picking the kids up from school, collecting a parcel, or going to get something from another room. It is a completely regular Group 1 verb, and its natural opposite is lämna ("to leave, drop off").
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| hämta | hämtar | hämtade | hämtat | hämta | Group 1 |
Fully regular: present hämtar, past hämtade with the full -ade, supine hämtat after har, and the imperative is the bare stem (Hämta! "Fetch it!"). The ä stays in every form — there is no vowel change.
Use 1: picking someone up
The most common use is collecting a person — typically a child from school or daycare, or a friend from the station. The thing you go to get is the direct object.
Jag ska hämta barnen på dagis klockan fem.
I'm going to pick the kids up from daycare at five o'clock. hämta + object = collect a person.
Kan du hämta mig vid stationen?
Can you pick me up at the station? hämta mig — fetch me and bring me.
Hon hämtade sin mamma på flygplatsen igår.
She picked her mum up at the airport yesterday. hämtade — the regular Group 1 past.
Use 2: fetching / collecting a thing
You also hämta objects — going to get something and bringing it to where you are.
Vänta här, jag hämtar en stol.
Wait here, I'll fetch a chair. hämta — go and get an object.
Har du hämtat paketet på posten?
Have you collected the parcel at the post office? har hämtat — the perfect, supine hämtat.
With the particle ut, hämta ut means specifically "to collect, claim, pick up" something that is being held for you — a parcel, a prescription, tickets.
Jag måste hämta ut medicinen på apoteket innan det stänger.
I have to pick up the medicine at the pharmacy before it closes. hämta ut = claim / collect what's held for you.
Use 3: hämta andan — catch one's breath
A fixed idiom worth knowing: hämta andan (or hämta andan igen) means "to catch one's breath" — literally "fetch the breath." It is used both physically and figuratively for taking a pause.
Vänta, jag måste hämta andan efter trapporna.
Wait, I need to catch my breath after the stairs. hämta andan — the set idiom.
A close relative is hämta krafter ("to gather one's strength, recover") and the reflexive hämta sig ("to recover, bounce back" — from an illness, a shock, a setback). Here hämta shades from "fetch" into "get back" what you'd lost.
Det tog veckor för henne att hämta sig efter influensan.
It took her weeks to recover from the flu. hämta sig = recover, get back to oneself.
Use 4: fetching data — download and retrieve
In computing, hämta is the everyday word for "to download" or "to fetch/retrieve" data — hämta en fil, hämta hem en app. The particle phrase hämta hem ("fetch home") is the common way to say "download" something onto your own device.
Du kan hämta appen gratis i App Store.
You can download the app for free in the App Store. hämta = download in everyday Swedish.
Systemet hämtar uppgifterna automatiskt varje natt.
The system retrieves the data automatically every night. hämta — fetch/retrieve data. (technical)
hämta vs lämna — pick up vs drop off
These two are a daily-life pair, especially around children and errands. hämta = go get and bring back; lämna = take there and leave behind. The classic routine is lämna och hämta — "drop off and pick up."
Jag lämnar barnen på morgonen och min man hämtar dem på eftermiddagen.
I drop the kids off in the morning and my husband picks them up in the afternoon. lämna (drop off) vs hämta (pick up).
Common Mistakes
❌ Jag hämter barnen klockan fem. (Group 2 ending)
Incorrect — hämta is Group 1, so the present is hämtar (-ar), not *hämter (-er).
✅ Jag hämtar barnen klockan fem.
I'm picking the kids up at five.
❌ Jag lämnar paketet på posten. (for 'I'm collecting the parcel')
Wrong direction — lämna means leave/drop off. To collect/pick up, use hämta.
✅ Jag hämtar paketet på posten.
I'm picking up the parcel at the post office.
❌ Han hämtde sin mamma på flygplatsen. (bare -de)
Incorrect — Group 1 takes the full -ade. The past is hämtade, not *hämtde.
✅ Han hämtade sin mamma på flygplatsen.
He picked his mum up at the airport.
❌ Har du hämtade paketet?
Incorrect — after har you need the supine hämtat, not the preterite hämtade.
✅ Har du hämtat paketet?
Have you picked up the parcel?
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