-are
-er (Person)
Add '-are' to a verb stem to describe the person doing the action.
How It Works
The '-are' suffix is a very productive way to form nouns for professions or roles in Swedish. It is used with stems from several conjugations, including -ar verbs.
Formation Rule:
Verb stem + -are
- tala (to speak) → tal- + -are → en talare (a speaker)
- måla (to paint) → mål- + -are → en målare (a painter)
This pattern also works with many verbs from other conjugations:
- köpa (to buy) → köp- + -are → en köpare (a buyer)
- läsa (to read) → läs- + -are → en läsare (a reader)
Important Note on Plurals:
These agent nouns have the same indefinite singular and indefinite plural form. Definite forms differ: läraren (the teacher), lärarna (the teachers). The article or context helps establish number.
- en lärare (a teacher)
- flera lärare (several teachers)
All nouns formed this way belong to the common gender (en-words).
Learn the established stem: sjunga gives sångare and baka gives bagare, so removing infinitive -a is not a universal spelling algorithm. The same suffix can also name equipment, such as skrivare (printer), rather than a person. Person-denoting -are words can refer to women as well as men; a gender-specific alternative such as sångerska may also occur.
Examples (5)
- Min pappa är lärare i svenska.
My dad teaches Swedish.
Word by Word: My dad is teacher in Swedish.
- Zlatan är en känd fotbollsspelare.
Zlatan is a famous football player.
Word by Word: Zlatan is a famous football-player.
- Hon drömmer om att bli en berömd sångare.
She dreams of becoming a famous singer.
Word by Word: She dreams about to become a famous singer.
- Vem är ägare till den här hunden?
Who is the owner of this dog?
Word by Word: Who is owner to this here dog?
- Det finns fem bagare i den lilla staden.
There are five bakers in the small town.
Word by Word: It exists five bakers in the little town.
Notice that 'bagare' (baker) is the same in both singular ('en bagare') and plural ('fem bagare').
Common Mistakes
Incorrectly adding a plural ending like '-r' or '-ar'.
Jag såg två lärarear.Jag såg två lärare.The indefinite plural is lärare, as in två lärare. Do not add another plural suffix. Definite forms do differ: läraren versus lärarna.
Adding '-are' to the full infinitive instead of the verb stem.
Han är en målaare.Han är en målare.The suffix '-are' is added to the verb stem, which is usually the infinitive form with the final '-a' removed (måla → mål-).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand agent nouns ending in -are, a learner needs to recognize that these nouns are derived from verbs (the person who 'does' the action). Knowledge of verb stems and basic noun properties like gender and pluralization is required to use these nouns correctly in sentences.
- Basic verb conjugation
Agent nouns are typically derived from verb stems, so understanding how verbs are formed is essential.
Foundations - -or/-ar/-er/-nPlural Endings
Understanding plural endings is necessary because agent nouns ending in -are follow a specific pluralization pattern (remaining -are in the indefinite plural).
Level 1
Related Patterns
- -ningAction/result Noun
While '-are' creates a noun for the person doing an action (the agent), the suffix '-ning' creates a noun for the action or result itself (e.g., 'måla' -> 'målare' (painter) vs. 'målning' (painting)).
Level 3 - Noun genders
The person-denoting -are nouns here are common gender: en lärare, läraren. Add -n to the full -are form for definite singular; definite plural is lärarna, with the final e absent.
Foundations - Noun compounds
Agent nouns ending in '-are' are frequently used as the final part of a compound noun to specify a profession or role, like 'språklärare' (language teacher) from 'språk' (language) and 'lärare' (teacher).
Level 3
Practice -are in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Swedish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
