kyssas (to kiss (each other)) | Swedish Grammar

kyssas means "to kiss each other." It is the reciprocal -s form of the plain verb kyssa ("to kiss someone"). Reciprocal -s verbs describe an action two or more people do to one another: de kysstes = "they kissed (each other)," just like de kramades ("they hugged"). The crucial point is that the -s here is not a passive: De kysstes does not mean "they were kissed," it means "they kissed (one another)." Because the action is mutual, kyssas always needs a plural or joint subject — one person cannot kiss each other alone. One honest wrinkle to flag up front: the grammatically correct present, kysses, is genuinely awkward and largely avoided in everyday Swedish, where speakers reach instead for kysser varandra ("kiss each other"). We give both, side by side.

Principal parts

The underlying active verb kyssa ("to kiss") is a Group 2 verb — kyssa / kysser / kysste / kysst — so the reciprocal is built on that paradigm, not on a Group-1 one.

Infinitive	Present	Preteritum (past)	Supine	Imperative	Type
kyssas	kysses	kysstes	kyssts	— (none in practice)	reciprocal s-verb (from kyssa, Group 2)

The single most important form to get right is the present, because it is the one learners most often build wrongly. The s-form present is not the infinitive kyssas. It is built on the present active kysser, minus the -r, plus -s: kysser → kysse → kysses. So:

present active kysser → reciprocal present kysses (NOT *kyssas)
past active kysste → reciprocal past kysstes (kysste
- s)
supine active kysst → reciprocal supine kyssts (kysst
- s, used after har/hade)

The form kyssas is the infinitive only ("to kiss each other"), used after another verb: Vi ska kyssas, De började kyssas. Using kyssas as a present (De kyssas nu) is simply wrong — see Common Mistakes. Like every Swedish verb, the s-form never changes for person: vi/ni/de take the same shape.

De kysstes för första gången på balkongen.

They kissed for the first time on the balcony. kysstes = past — 'kissed each other', not 'were kissed'.

Har ni kyssts redan?

Have you kissed already? har ... kyssts = perfect (har + supine); the joint subject ni licenses the reciprocal.

De ville inte kyssas framför kameran.

They didn't want to kiss in front of the camera. kyssas = the bare infinitive after the modal ville (past of vill).

Use 1: a first or memorable kiss

The most natural home for kyssas is narrating a kiss between two people — typically a first kiss, a goodbye kiss, a reunion. The subject is plural (or joined by och), and there is no object: the "each other" lives inside the -s.

Vi kysstes i regnet och brydde oss inte om att vi blev blöta.

We kissed in the rain and didn't care that we got wet. kysstes — a mutual kiss, no object.

Anna och Erik kysstes hastigt innan tåget gick.

Anna and Erik kissed quickly before the train left. The joint subject Anna och Erik makes the reciprocal natural.

Use 2: after another verb (the infinitive)

After a modal or a verb like börja ("begin"), sluta ("stop"), vilja ("want"), you use the bare infinitive kyssas. This is the one slot where the form actually is kyssas — because it is the infinitive, not the present.

De började kyssas så fort dörren stängdes.

They started kissing as soon as the door closed. började + infinitive kyssas.

Får man kyssas på första dejten?

Is it OK to kiss on a first date? får (modal) + infinitive kyssas — generic man as subject.

The present problem: kysses vs kysser varandra

Here is the point worth being honest about. The prescriptively correct present of the reciprocal is kysses — and grammar books will tell you so. But in real Swedish kysses sounds stilted and is largely avoided. Native speakers feel an awkwardness in the form and almost always rephrase a present-tense "they kiss each other" as kysser varandra — the active verb kyssa plus the reciprocal pronoun varandra ("each other"). Both are correct; the varandra version is simply what people actually say.

De kysser varandra varje morgon innan jobbet.

They kiss each other every morning before work. The natural present — kysser varandra, not the stiff 'kysses'.

I filmen kysses de redan i första scenen.

In the film they kiss already in the first scene. kysses IS the correct present — but most speakers would say 'kysser de varandra' instead.

💡

The reciprocal present kysses is correct but awkward, and Swedes mostly avoid it. In the present, say kysser varandra ("kiss each other") instead. In the past and perfect, though, the s-form is perfectly natural and idiomatic: De kysstes, Har ni kyssts? — use it freely there.

kyssa vs kyssas: who kisses whom

The difference is whether the kiss is mutual or has a distinct object:

kyssas (reciprocal, plural subject, no object) = the parties kiss each other: De kysstes.
kyssa (plain, takes an object) = one party kisses someone: Hon kysste honom. ("She kissed him.")

So De kysstes = "They kissed (one another)," but Hon kysste honom = "She kissed him." The test is simple: if a person (an object) follows the verb, you want the active kyssa; if the meaning is "kiss each other" with no object, you want kyssas. English blurs this — "they kissed" can mean either — but Swedish marks the mutual reading openly with the -s.

Hon kysste honom på kinden, och sedan kysstes de på riktigt.

She kissed him on the cheek, and then they kissed for real. kyssa + object (honom), then the reciprocal kysstes with no object.

Han lutade sig fram och kysste henne.

He leaned forward and kissed her. kysste + object henne — active, not reciprocal.

Common Mistakes

❌ De kyssas nu. (as a present tense)

Incorrect — kyssas is the infinitive, not the present. The present is built on kysser → kysses; but more naturally: De kysser varandra nu.

✅ De kysser varandra nu.

They're kissing (each other) now. — the natural present; the stiff 'kysses' is correct but avoided.

❌ Hon kyssas honom.

Incorrect — kyssas can't take an object. With an object use kyssa: Hon kysste honom.

✅ Hon kysste honom.

She kissed him.

❌ De kysstes betyder 'they were kissed'.

Incorrect — the -s here is reciprocal, not passive. De kysstes = 'they kissed (each other)'.

✅ De kysstes vid grinden.

They kissed at the gate.

❌ Har ni kysst redan? (reciprocal, no object)

Incorrect — without an object the perfect needs the reciprocal supine: har ni kyssts? The bare kysst would need an object.

✅ Har ni kyssts redan?

Have you kissed already?

❌ Jag kysstes. (singular subject)

Off — a single 'jag' can't kiss each other. Use a plural subject (Vi kysstes) or active kyssa with an object.

✅ Vi kysstes.

We kissed.

What to notice

The present is kysses — built on the present active kysser (minus -r, plus -s), never kyssas. *Kyssas is the infinitive, used after another verb (ska kyssas, började kyssas).
kysses is correct but awkward; in the present Swedes say kysser varandra. The past kysstes and perfect kyssts are fully natural — use them freely.
The -s is reciprocal, not passive: De kysstes = "they kissed each other," never "they were kissed."
kyssas needs a plural or joint subject and takes no object. The moment a person follows the verb, switch to active kyssa: Hon kysste honom.

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