tillåta means "to allow, permit," and like undvika it is a prefixed strong verb. It is built from the prefix till- plus the verb låta ("to let; to allow"), and it conjugates exactly like låta, inheriting its strong forms: tillåta – tillät – tillåtit. It is a touch more formal than the bare låta "to let," and its past participle tillåten ("permitted") is everywhere on signs and in rules: Det är inte tillåtet "It's not allowed."
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tillåta | tillåter | tillät | tillåtit | tillåt | Group 4 (strong), till- + låta |
Strip the prefix and the base verb appears: låta – låter – lät – låtit. Add till- and every form carries the prefix: tillåta – tillåter – tillät – tillåtit. The past tillät has the short ä vowel of lät (no ending), and the supine tillåtit keeps the å. Watch the diacritics carefully — å in the infinitive and supine, ä in the past. Perfect har tillåtit; pluperfect hade tillåtit. The agreeing participle is tillåten (en-word), tillåtet (ett-word), tillåtna (plural).
Skolan tillåter inte mobiler under lektionstid.
The school doesn't allow phones during lessons. tillåter — present.
Vädret tillät oss att grilla på balkongen.
The weather allowed us to barbecue on the balcony. tillät — past, vowel ä, no ending.
De har aldrig tillåtit rökning på kontoret.
They've never permitted smoking in the office. har tillåtit — perfect.
Use 1: tillåta någon att — allow someone to do something
The core pattern is tillåta någon att + infinitive — "allow someone to do something." The person allowed is the direct object; the permitted action follows with att. This is the precise, somewhat formal verb you reach for in rules, regulations and official permission.
Föräldrarna tillåter henne att stanna ute till elva.
Her parents allow her to stay out until eleven. tillåta henne att + infinitive.
Reglerna tillåter oss att överklaga beslutet. (formal)
The rules allow us to appeal the decision.
Min budget tillåter inte att jag reser i sommar.
My budget doesn't allow me to travel this summer.
Use 2: tillåten — the participle 'permitted / allowed'
The past participle tillåten / tillåtet / tillåtna functions as an adjective meaning "permitted, allowed," and it agrees with its noun in gender and number. The single most useful shape is the impersonal Det är (inte) tillåtet "It's (not) allowed," which you will see on signs everywhere.
Det är inte tillåtet att parkera här. (formal)
It is not allowed to park here. Impersonal det → tillåtet (ett-form).
Rökning är inte tillåten i lokalerna.
Smoking is not permitted on the premises. en-word rökning → tillåten.
Endast tillåtna hjälpmedel får användas under provet.
Only permitted aids may be used during the exam. Plural → tillåtna.
Use 3: tillåta vs the bare låta
Both tillåta and låta can mean "allow," but they differ in register and construction. låta is the everyday "let" and takes a bare infinitive (Låt mig hjälpa dig "Let me help you"). tillåta is more formal "permit," and takes att + infinitive (tillåta någon att hjälpa). When you mean a casual "let," reach for låta; for rules and formal permission, tillåta.
Låt mig förklara — det är en stor skillnad. (informal)
Let me explain — there's a big difference. Bare låta = let; bare infinitive förklara.
Lagen tillåter inte att man kör utan bälte. (formal)
The law doesn't permit driving without a seatbelt. tillåta — formal, with att.
Common Mistakes
❌ Skolan tillåtade inte mobiler.
Incorrect — tillåta is strong (it inherits låta's forms), so there is no -ade past. The past is tillät.
✅ Skolan tillät inte mobiler.
The school didn't allow phones.
❌ De har tillät rökning.
Wrong perfect — after har you need the supine tillåtit, not the past tillät.
✅ De har tillåtit rökning.
They've permitted smoking.
❌ Det är inte tillåten att parkera här.
Wrong agreement — with impersonal det the participle is the ett-form tillåtet, not tillåten.
✅ Det är inte tillåtet att parkera här.
It is not allowed to park here.
❌ Reglerna tillåter oss överklaga.
Missing att — tillåta governs the infinitive with att: tillåta någon att + infinitive.
✅ Reglerna tillåter oss att överklaga.
The rules allow us to appeal.
❌ Tillåt mig hjälpa dig. (for a casual 'let me help')
Stiff — for an everyday 'let me' use bare låta with a bare infinitive: Låt mig hjälpa dig.
✅ Låt mig hjälpa dig.
Let me help you.
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