stänga means "to close" or "to shut" — a door, a window, a shop, a program. It is a Group 2 -de verb, and its opposite is öppna ("to open"). Beyond the basic conjugation, stänga is worth a careful look because it produces three closely related forms that learners constantly mix up: the past stängde, the past participle / adjective stängd, and the -s passive stängs you see on every shop door in Sweden.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stänga | stänger | stängde | stängt | stäng | Group 2 (-de) |
The present is stäng- + -er = stänger; the imperative is the bare stem Stäng! ("Close it!"). The stem stäng- ends in the voiced -ng, so the past takes -de: stängde, never stängte. The supine is stängt.
Use 1: closing something (transitive)
In its everyday transitive use, stänga takes a direct object — the thing you shut.
Kan du stänga fönstret? Det drar.
Can you close the window? There's a draught. stänga — bare-stem infinitive after kan.
Hon stängde dörren tyst så att barnet inte skulle vakna.
She closed the door quietly so the child wouldn't wake up. stängde — the voiced-stem -de past.
Jag har redan stängt alla program och loggat ut.
I've already closed all the programs and logged out. har stängt — perfect, supine stängt after har.
Use 2: the past participle — stängd (the door IS closed)
To describe a thing's state — that it is closed — Swedish uses the past participle stängd, which behaves like an adjective and agrees with its noun: stängd (en-word), stängt (ett-word), stängda (plural/definite). This is the form after är ("is closed"), not the past tense.
Dörren är stängd — vi får gå runt.
The door is closed — we'll have to go around. stängd — past participle agreeing with the en-word dörren.
Museet är stängt på måndagar.
The museum is closed on Mondays. stängt — participle agreeing with the ett-word museet.
Alla butiker var stängda när vi kom fram.
All the shops were closed when we arrived. stängda — plural participle.
Use 3: the -s passive — stängs (the sign form)
On shop doors and timetables you'll see the -s passive: stängs ("is closed / closes"). This is how Swedish states a routine or scheduled action without naming who does it — perfect for signs. Affären stängs kl. 18 means "the shop closes at 6 p.m." The matching opposite is öppnas ("opens").
Affären stängs kl. 18 på vardagar.
The shop closes at 6 p.m. on weekdays. stängs — the -s passive, standard on shop signs.
Grindarna stängs automatiskt klockan tio.
The gates are closed automatically at ten o'clock. stängs — -s passive for a routine, agentless action.
Use 4: stänga av — turn off / switch off
The particle verb stänga av means "to turn off" or "switch off" a device — a TV, the engine, the water. The particle av is stressed.
Glöm inte att stänga av spisen innan du går.
Don't forget to turn off the stove before you leave. stänga av — particle verb, 'turn off'.
Han stängde av mobilen under hela middagen.
He switched off his phone for the whole dinner. stängde av — past of the particle verb.
Common Mistakes
❌ Hon stängte dörren.
Incorrect — the stem stäng- ends in a voiced sound, so the past is stängde, not *stängte.
✅ Hon stängde dörren.
She closed the door.
❌ Dörren är stängde.
Wrong form — that's the past tense. The state 'is closed' needs the participle: Dörren är stängd.
✅ Dörren är stängd.
The door is closed.
❌ Affären stängde kl. 18 (on a sign).
On a sign you want the routine -s passive, not the one-time past: Affären stängs kl. 18.
✅ Affären stängs kl. 18.
The shop closes at 6 p.m.
❌ Jag har stängde fönstret.
Incorrect — after har you need the supine stängt, not the past stängde.
✅ Jag har stängt fönstret.
I have closed the window.
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Start learning Swedish→Related Topics
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