yttra means "to utter, to voice" — to put something into words out loud. It is a formal, somewhat literary verb; in ordinary speech you would reach for säga ("say"). Where yttra really earns its place in modern Swedish is in its reflexive form yttra sig ("to comment, to express an opinion, to make a statement") and in its derivatives, above all yttrandefrihet ("freedom of speech"). It is a fully regular Group 1 verb.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yttra | yttrar | yttrade | yttrat | yttra | Group 1 |
Note the consonant cluster -ttr-: it stays intact through every form. The present is yttrar, the past yttrade, the supine yttrat — all by the standard Group 1 rule, with no stem change.
Use 1: yttra — to utter (formal)
Used transitively, yttra takes the words spoken as its object: yttra ett ord ("utter a word"). This is markedly formal or literary, and often appears in negative or dramatic contexts — someone who did not utter a single word.
Han yttrade inte ett ord under hela middagen. (literary)
He didn't utter a single word during the entire dinner. (literary) yttrade + ett ord, the transitive 'utter'.
De sista orden hon yttrade var en varning. (literary)
The last words she uttered were a warning. (literary) Relative clause; yttrade as the formal 'spoke/uttered'.
Jag vågade knappt yttra mig — förlåt, knappt säga något. (formal)
I hardly dared utter anything. (formal) Even here, speakers slip into the reflexive yttra mig; the bare transitive is rare.
Use 2: yttra sig — comment, give an opinion (the everyday sense)
The reflexive yttra sig is the form you will actually meet again and again. It means "to comment, to make a statement, to express an opinion." The topic is introduced by om ("about") or, in more legal/procedural language, by i ("in/on a matter").
Ministern vill inte yttra sig om saken. (formal)
The minister doesn't want to comment on the matter. (formal) yttra sig om + topic — the standard 'comment on'.
Domstolen har bett parterna att yttra sig i frågan.
The court has asked the parties to comment on the issue. yttra sig i frågan — i is common in legal/procedural Swedish.
Jag tänker inte yttra mig förrän jag har talat med min advokat.
I'm not going to make a statement until I've spoken to my lawyer. Reflexive agrees with the subject: jag → mig.
Flera experter yttrade sig kritiskt om förslaget.
Several experts commented critically on the proposal. yttrade sig — past; the reflexive sig is used for de/flera.
Remember that the reflexive pronoun must agree with the subject: jag yttrar mig, du yttrar dig, han/hon/de yttrar sig.
The noun: ett yttrande
The corresponding noun ett yttrande is a neuter (ett) word meaning "a statement, an utterance" — and in legal Swedish, "a formal written opinion / submission" (the document a body or party files in a case).
Kommunen lämnade ett yttrande över planförslaget. (formal)
The municipality submitted a statement on the planning proposal. (formal) lämna ett yttrande = file a formal opinion.
Hans yttrande i radion väckte stor uppmärksamhet.
His remark on the radio drew a lot of attention. ett yttrande — here closer to 'utterance/remark'.
yttrandefrihet — freedom of speech
The compound yttrandefrihet ("freedom of speech / freedom of expression") is one of the most important political words in Swedish. It is an en-word (yttrandefriheten), built from yttrande + frihet ("freedom").
Yttrandefriheten är skyddad i grundlagen. (academic)
Freedom of speech is protected in the constitution. (academic) yttrandefriheten — definite form of this key civic term.
Common Mistakes
❌ Ministern vill inte yttra om saken.
Incorrect — to comment on something you need the reflexive: yttra sig om, not bare *yttra om.
✅ Ministern vill inte yttra sig om saken.
The minister doesn't want to comment on the matter.
❌ Jag yttrar sig inte. (wrong reflexive)
Incorrect — the reflexive must agree: jag → mig. Use jag yttrar mig.
✅ Jag yttrar mig inte.
I'm not commenting.
❌ Han yttrar sig om förslaget på radion igår.
Tense error — yttrar is present; for 'yesterday' use the past yttrade.
✅ Han yttrade sig om förslaget i radion igår.
He commented on the proposal on the radio yesterday.
❌ en yttrande
Wrong gender — yttrande is a neuter (ett) word: ett yttrande, not *en yttrande.
✅ ett yttrande
a statement / an utterance
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