förmår + Infinitive

Be Capable of

Level 4

Use förmår for capacity or managing a task. It is often more formal than kan, but does not require extraordinary inner strength.

How It Works

Förmår is a verb used to express capability or managing a performance. It's often translated as 'to be capable of', 'to manage to', or 'to have the strength to'. It's considered more formal and literary than its common counterparts.

Conjugation:
It is a weak verb, meaning it forms its past tense with a suffix (-dde) instead of a vowel change in the stem. Its conjugation is:

  • Present: förmår
  • Past (Preterite): förmådde
  • Supine: förmått

Comparison with other verbs:
Understanding förmår is easiest when comparing it to other verbs that express ability.

1. förmår vs. kan
- kan expresses general ability, skill, or permission. It's the neutral, everyday word for 'can'.
- förmår can highlight the capacity needed for a challenge, but does not always imply an inner obstacle.
- Example: `Jag kan tala svenska.` (I can speak Swedish - a skill).
- Example: `Han förmår inte se sina egna fel.` (He is incapable of seeing his own faults - a mental/emotional block).

2. förmår vs. orkar
- orkar specifically relates to having enough physical or mental energy for a task.
- förmår is broader and can refer to moral, intellectual, or spiritual capacity, not just energy levels.
- Example: `Jag orkar inte springa mer.` (I don't have the energy to run anymore).
- Example: `Hon förmådde inte svika sina vänner.` (She didn't have it in her/was morally incapable of betraying her friends).

3. förmår vs. lyckas
- lyckas means 'to succeed' and focuses on the successful outcome of an attempt.
- förmår can describe capacity, while an episodic past form can also report an achieved action: Hon förmådde öppna dörren can mean she managed to open it. Do not infer a universal capacity-versus-outcome divide.
- Example: `Han lyckades öppna den låsta dörren.` (He succeeded in opening the locked door).
- Example: `Hon förmår lösa komplexa problem.` (She is capable of solving complex problems - describes her ability, not a single success).

The structure is straightforward: Subject + förmår/förmådde (+ inte) + Infinitive Verb.

Register And Context
Jag förmår spela gitarr and Jag är för trött, jag förmår inte diska are grammatical. Everyday alternatives are Jag kan spela gitarr and Jag är för trött, jag orkar inte diska; choose according to the intended emphasis. Playing guitar or doing the dishes can be difficult in a particular situation, so neither activity is excluded from förmå.

Examples (4)

  1. Hon förmår inte säga sanningen till honom.

    She is not capable of telling him the truth.

    Word by Word: She is-capable-of not say the-truth to him.

    The context suggests that telling the truth is difficult for her. The verb expresses inability; its cause is supplied by the situation, not necessarily a psychological block built into the word.

  2. Efter olyckan förmådde han aldrig gå igen.

    After the accident, he was never able to walk again.

    Word by Word: After the-accident was-capable-of he never walk again.

    Here, the past tense förmådde is used to describe a lost physical capability.

  3. Förmår du verkligen förlåta dem för vad de gjorde?

    Are you really capable of forgiving them for what they did?

    Word by Word: Are-capable-of you really forgive them for what they did?

    This question probes the depth of someone's emotional or moral capacity to forgive.

  4. Endast en sann ledare förmår ena folket.

    Only a true leader is capable of uniting the people.

    Word by Word: Only a true leader is-capable-of unite the-people.

    The speaker makes a strong claim about leadership. Förmår expresses capacity in a formal style; the grammar does not establish the claim that only one kind of leader has it.

Common Mistakes

  • Using a present form instead of an infinitive after förmår.

    Hon förmår inte öppnar dörren.
    Hon förmår inte öppna dörren.

    Use infinitive öppna in this ability construction, not finite öppnar. Förmår att öppna is also possible. In Hon förmår honom att öppna, the object changes the meaning to inducing him to open it.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

förmår + InfinitiveLevel 4Be Capable of

Learn This First

To understand 'förmår + infinitive', you need to be familiar with how Swedish expresses ability and how to link a main verb to an infinitive. 'Förmår' is a formal synonym for 'kan' or 'orkar' and follows standard verb-infinitive construction rules.

Words in This Pattern

förmå