Past Participles as Adjectives
When you want to describe a noun using a completed action—like a "parked" car or a "blocked" street—you use a past participle. In Swedish, past participles act just like adjectives, changing their endings to agree with the noun's gender (en or ett) and number (singular or plural).
Group 1 Verbs
Group 1 verbs (like blockera, to block) have stems that end in -a (the stem is exactly the same as the infinitive). Add the following endings to the stem to form the past participle:
- -d for en-words (resulting in -ad)
- -t for ett-words (resulting in -at)
- -de for plural and definite nouns (resulting in -ade)
| The intersection is blocked. | Korsningen är blockerad. |
| No traffic light is blocked. | Inget trafikljus är blockerat. |
| No cars are parked here. | Inga bilar är parkerade här. |
Like regular adjectives, past participles can be placed directly in front of a noun. They follow the exact same agreement rules, taking their plural/definite -ade ending when modifying plural nouns or when following a definite article (like den).
| The street has a marked crosswalk. | Gatan har ett markerat övergångsställe. |
| The blocked intersection is empty. | Den blockerade korsningen är tom. |
Group 2 Verbs
For Group 2 verbs, drop the -a from the infinitive to get the stem (for example, bygga becomes bygg-). The endings you add depend on the stem's final consonant:
| Verb Stem | en-word | ett-word | Plural / Definite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ends in a voiced consonant | -d | -t | -da |
| Ends in voiceless (k, p, s, t) | -t | -t | -ta |
For example, bygga (to build) takes the -d ending for en-words. However, belysa (to illuminate) takes the -t ending because its stem (belys-) ends in the voiceless consonant s.
| The intersection is built of concrete. | Korsningen är byggd av betong. |
| The bike lane is illuminated. | Cykelbanan är belyst. |