Abstract Nouns with -else and -dom
In Swedish, you can create new abstract nouns to discuss society, philosophy, and emotions by adding suffixes to verbs and adjectives. Two of the most common are -else and -dom.
Nouns ending in -else or -dom are almost always en words.
- -else: Attached to verbs to describe an action, state, or result. For example, att förstå (to understand) becomes en förståelse (an understanding).
- -dom: Attached to adjectives (and sometimes verbs) to describe a condition or abstract concept. For example, fattig (poor) becomes en fattigdom (poverty).
Notice how both suffixes are used in their definite forms in this sentence:
| The understanding increased while the poverty decreased. | Förståelsen ökade medan fattigdomen minskade. |
Conditions and Concepts: -dom
The suffix -dom turns descriptive states into tangible concepts. Consider the adjectives vis (wise) and rik (rich), which become visdom (wisdom) and rikedom (wealth). It can also be added to verb roots, such as forming lärdom (lesson learned) from lära (to learn/teach).
| The wisdom was shared by the old man. | Visdomen delades av den gamla mannen. |
| She remembers the lesson, whereas he only remembers the wealth. | Hon minns lärdomen, medan han bara minns rikedomen. |
Actions and Results: -else
The suffix -else turns actions into nouns. For instance, att övertyga (to convince) gives us övertygelse (conviction), and att skapa (to create) gives us skapelse (creation).
| We share the conviction that the creation is beautiful. | Vi delar övertygelsen att skapelsen är vacker. |
It also forms nouns for feelings, such as besvikelse (disappointment):
| I hope that the disappointment disappears. | Jag hoppas att besvikelsen försvinner. |
When discussing broad, overarching concepts—like "creation," "poverty," or "understanding"—in a general sense, Swedish frequently uses the definite -en form, as seen in the examples above.