väga (to weigh) | Swedish Grammar

väga means "to weigh." It belongs to Group 2, the -de subtype: the stem väg- ends in the voiced g, so the past takes -de (vägde). The verb has two faces. Transitively it means "to weigh something" — to put it on a scale (väga paketet). Intransitively it means "to have a weight" — Det väger två kilo, "it weighs two kilos." English uses the same word "weigh" for both, so the two senses feel natural; the trap is purely in the conjugation.

Principal parts

Infinitive	Present	Preteritum (past)	Supine	Imperative	Group
väga	väger	vägde	vägt	väg	Group 2 (-de)

The present is väger (stem + -er, the Group 2 marker). The past is vägde: the stem-final g is voiced, so the ending is -de, not -te (contrast mäta → mätte, whose stem ends in voiceless t). The supine is vägt, so the perfect is har vägt. The imperative is the bare stem väg ("Weigh!").

Use 1: väga (transitive) — to weigh something

With a direct object, väga is the act of putting something on a scale to find its weight.

Kan du väga paketet innan vi skickar det?

Can you weigh the parcel before we send it? Transitive väga + direct object.

Vägde du bagaget på flygplatsen?

Did you weigh the luggage at the airport? vägde — the -de subtype past.

Jag har redan vägt mjölet till receptet.

I've already weighed the flour for the recipe. har vägt — the perfect, supine vägt.

Use 2: väga (intransitive) — to have a weight

With no object, väga states how much something weighs. The quantity follows directly, with no preposition.

Hur mycket väger din väska?

How much does your bag weigh? Intransitive väger — asking about its weight.

Paketet väger två kilo.

The parcel weighs two kilos. Det/Paketet väger X — the weight stated directly, no preposition.

Valpen vägde bara ett halvt kilo när vi fick honom.

The puppy weighed only half a kilo when we got him. Intransitive past vägde.

väga in — to factor in

A useful particle verb is väga in — to "factor in / take into account" when judging something. The image is of putting a consideration onto the scale alongside everything else.

Vi måste väga in kostnaden innan vi bestämmer oss.

We have to factor in the cost before we decide. väga in = take into account.

Domaren vägde in alla omständigheter. (formal)

The judge took all the circumstances into account. (formal) väga in in past tense.

The noun en våg, and contrast with mäta

The related noun is en våg — "a scale / a pair of scales" (the instrument you weigh things on). Beware: en våg also means "a wave" (of water, or a wave of something). Same word, two meanings, resolved by context. Keep väga (find the weight) apart from mäta (find the dimensions — length, height, temperature).

Ställ paketet på vågen.

Put the parcel on the scale. en våg = the weighing instrument.

En stor våg slog mot båten.

A big wave hit the boat. Same noun en våg, here meaning 'a wave' — context decides.

Common Mistakes

❌ Jag vägade paketet.

Incorrect — väga is Group 2, not Group 1. The past is vägde, not *vägade.

✅ Jag vägde paketet.

I weighed the parcel.

❌ Han vägte väskan.

Incorrect — the stem ends in voiced g, so the -de subtype applies: vägde, not *vägte.

✅ Han vägde väskan.

He weighed the bag.

❌ Väskan väger av tre kilo.

Incorrect — the intransitive väga takes the weight directly, no preposition: väger tre kilo.

✅ Väskan väger tre kilo.

The bag weighs three kilos.

❌ Jag har vägat brevet.

Incorrect — the supine is vägt, so the perfect is har vägt, not *har vägat.

✅ Jag har vägt brevet.

I've weighed the letter.

💡

väga is Group 2, -de subtype: väger – vägde – vägt (the voiced g takes -de, unlike mäta → mätte). It works both ways: transitive väga paketet (weigh something) and intransitive Det väger två kilo (have a weight — no preposition before the figure). The noun en våg is "a scale" — and also "a wave."

Now practice Swedish

Reading grammar gets you part of the way. The exercises are where it sticks — free, no signup needed.

Start learning Swedish→