Verbal Nouns with -ande and -ende
To turn a verb into an abstract noun describing an ongoing process (like "the building" or "the planning"), Swedish adds a suffix:
- Use -ande for verbs ending in -a (e.g., bygga becomes byggande).
- Use -ende for verbs ending in other vowels (e.g., bo becomes boende).
These verbal nouns are ett words. When discussing specific projects, you will usually see them in their definite form, ending in -et.
| the building (process) | byggandet |
The Objective Genitive
To specify the target of a process—what is being built, planned, or created—link the verbal noun to its object using the preposition av (of).
| The building of the new road network improves the infrastructure. | Byggandet av det nya vägnätet förbättrar infrastrukturen. |
This structure is highly common in formal contexts like urban planning and infrastructure.
| The citizens think that the planning of the city is complicated. | Medborgarna tycker att planerandet av staden är komplicerat. |
The pattern of [verbal noun] + av + [object] remains consistent even when weighing different options or asking questions.
| We must choose either the expanding of the road network or the preserving of the park. | Vi måste välja antingen utökandet av vägnätet eller bevarandet av parken. |
| Do you think that the creating of the square affects the infrastructure? | Tror du att skapandet av torget påverkar infrastrukturen? |
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