Breakdown of Välsignad vare brudgummen, som nu blir gift.
vara
to be
nu
now
bli
to become
som
who / which / that (relative pronoun)
gift
married (adjective)
brudgummen
the bridegroom
välsignad
blessed
Questions & Answers about Välsignad vare brudgummen, som nu blir gift.
Why does the sentence use vare instead of är?
The word vare is the present subjunctive (or optative) form of the verb vara (to be). While modern standard Swedish uses är, this older form survives in fixed, formulaic wishes and blessings. It works exactly like the English subjunctive in the translation: Blessed be the bridegroom rather than Blessed is the bridegroom.
Is välsignad acting as a verb or an adjective here?
It acts as an adjective here, specifically a past participle describing the subject. Because it describes brudgummen (an en-word), it takes the common singular ending -d. If it were describing a neuter word like brudparet (the bridal couple), it would become Välsignat vare brudparet.
Why is the word order Välsignad vare brudgummen instead of putting the subject first?
Placing the blessing first is a stylistic choice common in older religious or poetic phrasing. It emphasizes the word Välsignad by putting it in the foundational first position. Because Swedish strictly follows the V2 rule (verb in second position), the verb vare must immediately follow it, pushing the subject (brudgummen) to the third position.
Could you say som nu gifter sig instead of som nu blir gift?
Yes! In modern, everyday conversational Swedish, gifter sig is the standard way to say gets married, focusing on the action. The phrase blir gift (literally becomes married) focuses on the transition into the new state. In an elevated, slightly traditional sentence like this blessing, blir gift fits the tone perfectly.
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