Participles as Formal Prepositions
In formal correspondence and customer service inquiries, present participles ending in -ande or -ende often function as prepositions to mean "regarding" or "concerning."
The three most common are angående, beträffande, and gällande. They are largely interchangeable and immediately elevate the formality of your Swedish.
Angående (Regarding)
Angående is the most widely used of the three. It is perfect for stating the purpose of an email or inquiry.
| I am writing to you regarding the order. | Jag skriver till er angående beställningen. |
| It is the manager who handles the complaint regarding the invoice. | Det är chefen som hanterar klagomålet angående fakturan. |
Beträffande (Concerning)
Beträffande is slightly more formal but works exactly the same way, often pointing the reader toward specific information or documents.
| Read the attachment concerning your new password. | Läs bilagan beträffande ditt nya lösenord. |
Gällande (Regarding / Applying to)
Gällande comes from the verb gälla (to apply / to be valid). It is a staple in formal correspondence and often starts a sentence to establish the topic right away.
| Regarding the refund, it has already been approved. | Gällande återbetalningen har den redan godkänts. |
| The complaint regarding the invoice must be handled directly. | Klagomålet gällande fakturan måste hanteras direkt. |
Building Formal Sentences
These prepositions pair naturally with professional vocabulary like bifogad (attached) and ytterligare (further/additional). Just place them directly before the noun phrase they refer to.
| I have an additional question regarding the attached invoice. | Jag har ytterligare en fråga angående den bifogade fakturan. |
| I hope you contact customer service regarding the invoice. | Jag hoppas du kontaktar kundtjänsten gällande fakturan. |