kramas means "to hug each other" (reciprocal/deponent s-verb). It is the reciprocal -s form of the plain verb krama ("to hug someone"). Reciprocal -s verbs describe an action two or more people do to one another: vi kramas = "we hug," de kramades = "they hugged," exactly like vi träffas ("we meet") and vi ses ("we see each other"). The crucial point is that the -s here is not a passive: De kramades does not mean "they were hugged," it means "they hugged (one another)." Because the action is mutual, kramas always needs a plural or joint subject — you cannot hug each other by yourself.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kramas | kramas | kramades | kramats | kramas (rare) | reciprocal s-verb (from krama, Group 1) |
Every form is simply krama in its Group-1 paradigm with an -s welded on the outside of the normal ending: present kramas (kramar + s, contracting to kramas), past kramades (kramade + s), supine kramats (kramat + s, used after har/hade). Like all Swedish verbs it never changes for person — vi kramas, ni kramas, de kramas are identical — but the subject must be plural (or two parties joined by och). The imperative kramas exists but is rare; in practice you tell two people to "hug" with Krama varandra! ("Hug each other!").
Vi kramades länge innan vi sa hej då.
We hugged for a long time before we said goodbye. kramades = past — 'hugged each other', not 'were hugged'.
De kramas alltid när de möts.
They always hug when they meet. kramas = present; the plural subject de licenses the reciprocal.
Vi har kramats varje gång vi har träffats.
We've hugged every time we've met. har kramats = perfect supine; note träffats, another reciprocal, alongside it.
Use 1: a mutual hug between two or more people
The core job of kramas is to describe people hugging one another. The subject is plural (or joined by och), and there is no object — the "each other" is baked into the -s.
Ska vi kramas?
Shall we hug? The standard, warm offer of a hug — reciprocal, no object.
Mormor och jag kramades i dörren.
Grandma and I hugged in the doorway. The joint subject Mormor och jag makes the reciprocal natural.
Barnen kramades och skrattade.
The children hugged and laughed. A plural subject doing the action to one another.
Use 2: greetings and goodbyes
kramas is the everyday verb for the hug that comes with hello and goodbye — at the station, the door, the airport. Swedes reach for it constantly when describing how people part or reunite.
I Sverige kramas man när man hälsar på nära vänner.
In Sweden you hug when you greet close friends. Generic man as subject still takes the reciprocal kramas.
De kramades på perrongen och sedan gick tåget.
They hugged on the platform and then the train left. kramades — the goodbye hug.
krama vs kramas: who hugs whom
The difference is whether the hug is mutual or has a distinct object:
- kramas (reciprocal, plural subject, no object) = the parties hug each other: Vi kramas.
- krama (plain, takes an object) = one party hugs someone: Jag kramar dig. ("I'm hugging you.")
So Vi kramades = "We hugged (one another)," but Jag kramade henne = "I hugged her." The test is simple: if a person (an object) follows the verb, you want the active krama; if the meaning is "hug each other" with no object, you want kramas. English hides this distinction because "hug" looks the same either way — "we hugged" vs. "I hugged her" — but Swedish marks it openly with the -s.
Jag vill krama dig — kom här!
I want to hug you — come here! krama + object (dig), so no -s.
Först kramade jag honom, sedan kramades alla.
First I hugged him, then everyone hugged (each other). krama + object honom, then the reciprocal kramades with a plural subject.
Common Mistakes
❌ Jag kramas dig.
Incorrect — kramas can't take an object. With an object use krama: Jag kramar dig.
✅ Jag kramar dig.
I'm hugging you.
❌ Vi ska krama. (mutual hug, no object)
Off — for a mutual 'hug' with no object you need the reciprocal: Vi ska kramas.
✅ Vi ska kramas.
We're going to hug.
❌ De kramades betyder 'they were hugged'.
Incorrect — the -s here is reciprocal, not passive. De kramades = 'they hugged (each other)'.
✅ De kramades vid dörren.
They hugged at the door.
❌ Vi har kramat hela kvällen. (reciprocal, no object)
Incorrect — without an object the perfect needs the reciprocal supine: har kramats.
✅ Vi har kramats hela kvällen.
We've been hugging all evening.
❌ Jag kramas när jag är glad. (singular subject)
Off — a single jag can't hug each other. Use a plural subject (Vi kramas) or active krama with an object.
✅ Vi kramas när vi är glada.
We hug when we're happy.
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- 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.
- 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 Pronouns (varandra)B1 — 'Each other / one another' is one tidy word in Swedish: varandra, with a genitive varandras ('each other's'). The crucial contrast English keeps but learners collapse: sig means 'themselves' (each acting on their own self) while varandra means 'each other' (acting mutually) — De älskar sig vs De älskar varandra are different statements. Swedish also has a second route to the same meaning: the reciprocal -s verbs like ses, träffas, slåss, kysstes.