vistas means "to stay, reside, or spend time somewhere" (deponent s-verb). It is a deponent: a verb that always carries an -s yet is completely active in meaning. So vistas never sheds its -s — there is no *vista or *vistar — and it never means "to be stayed." It is a slightly formal word for being present in a place over some stretch of time: vistas utomlands ("stay/be abroad"), vistas i naturen ("spend time in nature"). The related noun is en vistelse ("a stay"). This card lays out its forms and, crucially, how it differs from bo (to live/reside permanently) and stanna (to stop / stay put).
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vistas | vistas | vistades | vistats | (none in use) | deponent (s-verb) |
Every form keeps the -s — that is the defining trait of a deponent. The present is vistas (identical to the infinitive), the past is vistades (a regular Group-1 past -ade with the -s welded on the outside), and the supine — used after har/hade — is vistats. There is no everyday imperative; you don't normally command someone to "stay-present somewhere" with vistas (for that you reach for stanna or vara), so that slot sits empty in practice. Like all Swedish verbs the form is the same for every subject: jag vistas, vi vistas, de vistas.
Vi vistas mycket utomhus på sommaren.
We spend a lot of time outdoors in summer. vistas = present, identical to the infinitive.
Han vistades utomlands i flera år.
He stayed/lived abroad for several years. vistades = past, the regular -ade past with -s on top.
Hur länge har du vistats i Sverige?
How long have you been (staying) in Sweden? har vistats = perfect, the supine after har.
Use 1: spending time in a place
The core sense of vistas is being present in a place across a period of time — not living there permanently, but being there: in nature, outdoors, abroad, at a venue.
Barn mår bra av att vistas i naturen.
Children benefit from spending time in nature. att vistas = the infinitive after the preposition av.
Vi vistades på landet hela juli.
We spent all of July in the countryside. vistades = stayed/spent time, over a defined stretch.
Hon trivs med att vistas bland folk.
She enjoys being around / spending time among people. The 'be present somewhere' sense, here social.
Use 2: staying abroad / away
vistas is the standard, slightly formal verb for being abroad or away from home for a while — common in official, travel, and bureaucratic contexts.
Under studietiden vistades hon ett år i Spanien.
During her studies she spent a year in Spain. A typical 'stay abroad' use, in the past.
De som vistas i landet illegalt riskerar utvisning.
Those staying in the country illegally risk deportation. Formal/legal register — vistas is at home here.
Use 3: the formal "be present" — register note
In official and written Swedish, vistas often replaces a plainer "be" when the meaning is "be present / remain at a location." It carries a noticeably more formal flavour than vara ("be") or stanna ("stay put"), so you meet it on signs, in regulations, and in healthcare or travel advice rather than in casual chat.
Det är förbjudet att vistas på spårområdet.
It is forbidden to be / stay on the track area. (formal) A classic warning-sign use of vistas.
Patienten bör inte vistas i solen för länge.
The patient should not stay in the sun too long. (formal) Healthcare advice — vistas over a plain 'be'.
In everyday speech you would more often just say vara ("Vi var ute hela dagen" — "We were out all day"). Reach for vistas when you want that step up in formality, or when the meaning is specifically "be present over a stretch of time."
vistas vs. bo vs. stanna
These three are easy to confuse because English "stay" covers all of them. Keep them apart by duration and meaning:
- vistas = be present / spend time somewhere for a while (temporary, often formal): Vi vistas i fjällen en vecka.
- bo = live / reside (your home, permanent or long-term): Jag bor i Göteborg.
- stanna = stop, or stay put / remain (not leave): Stanna här! / Bussen stannar.
Jag bor i Malmö men vistas ofta i Köpenhamn.
I live in Malmö but often spend time in Copenhagen. bo = your home; vistas = where you temporarily are.
Stanna i bilen — jag vistas inte här länge.
Stay in the car — I won't be here long. stanna = stay put; vistas = be present for a time.
Common Mistakes
❌ Jag vistar i naturen ofta.
Incorrect — vistas is a deponent; the -s never drops. There is no *vistar.
✅ Jag vistas i naturen ofta.
I often spend time in nature.
❌ Hon har vistat utomlands i två år.
Incorrect — the supine keeps the -s: vistats, not *vistat.
✅ Hon har vistats utomlands i två år.
She has stayed abroad for two years.
❌ Jag vistas i Stockholm. (meaning 'I live there')
Off — for your permanent home use bo, not vistas. vistas = be there temporarily.
✅ Jag bor i Stockholm.
I live in Stockholm.
❌ Vistas här! (meaning 'Stay here!')
Off — to tell someone to stay put you use stanna, not vistas. vistas has no everyday imperative.
✅ Stanna här!
Stay here!
❌ Han vistades sig på sjukhuset. (with a reflexive sig)
Incorrect — vistas already carries the -s; it takes no reflexive sig. Just Han vistades på sjukhuset.
✅ Han vistades på sjukhuset i en vecka.
He stayed in hospital for a week.
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