må + Infinitive

Level 6

Use 'må' followed by a verb in its base form (infinitive) to express a strong wish or blessing, like 'Må du leva länge' (May you live long).

How It Works

The construction må + infinitive is a formal and often literary or archaic way to express the optative mood in Swedish. Optative expressions convey wishes or hopes. The same modal verb also has other uses, described separately below.

Main Uses:

  • Wishes and Blessings: This is the most common use in modern Swedish, found in formal speeches, toasts, and set phrases. It conveys a strong, solemn wish.
    Example: Må fred råda på jorden. (May peace prevail on Earth.)
  • Formal Permission or Proclamation: In very formal or legal contexts, 'må' can grant permission or make a formal declaration. This usage is rare in everyday language.
    Example: Må det vara känt att... (May it be known that...)
  • Concession: It can be used to concede a point, often in the phrase 'må så vara' (so be it / that may be so).
    Example: Må så vara, men jag har en annan åsikt. (That may be so, but I have a different opinion.)

Grammatical Structure:
In the wish pattern beginning with 'må', the finite verb is first and the subject follows it. This differs from ordinary verb-second declaratives, where another constituent comes before the finite verb.

Structure: Må + Subject + Infinitive Verb + ...
Example: Må (V) du (S) finna (Inf.) lycka.

This construction is a remnant of a more complex mood system in older Swedish and is conceptually related to the subjunctive mood, which also expresses non-factual states like wishes or hypotheses.

An interesting remnant of this construction is the adverb 'måhända' (perhaps), which is a lexicalized form of 'må hända' (may happen), showing the construction's historical influence on the language.

Different Meanings Of Må
A wish such as Må du lyckas! does not grant permission or predict success. Formal permission is a separate modal use; Må det vara känt att... instead presents a solemn proclamation. Må så vara concedes a point and is not itself a blessing.

Får jag gå på toaletten? is the ordinary everyday permission question. Må jag gå på toaletten? sounds archaic or deliberately stylized, rather than failing a grammar rule. Måtte can also introduce a wish and is often less solemn than må in Sweden. Neither a wish with må nor one with måtte states how likely its fulfillment is.

Examples (4)

  1. Må bästa laget vinna!

    May the best team win!

    Word by Word: May best team win!

    A common phrase used before a competition, expressing a hope for a fair outcome.

  2. Må han vila i frid.

    May he rest in peace.

    Word by Word: May he rest in peace.

    A fixed expression used when someone has passed away. 'Vila i frid' is the Swedish equivalent of 'R.I.P.'

  3. Må alla dina drömmar gå i uppfyllelse.

    May all your dreams come true.

    Word by Word: May all your dreams go in fulfillment.

    A personal and heartfelt wish or blessing for someone.

  4. Må så vara, men vi måste ändå försöka.

    That may be so, but we still have to try.

    Word by Word: May so be, but we must anyway try.

    Here, 'må så vara' is a fixed phrase used to concede a point before presenting a counterargument.

Common Mistakes

  • Incorrectly adding the infinitive marker 'att' after 'må'.

    Må du att hitta det du söker.
    Må du hitta det du söker.

    Like the modal verbs illustrated here (e.g., kan, ska, vill), 'må' takes the infinitive form of the main verb without att. In this wish pattern, the subject du stands between må and hitta.

How It Connects

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

må + InfinitiveLevel 6

Learn This First

To understand optative expressions like 'Må det gå dig väl', you need to be familiar with modal-like verb usage and how Swedish word order can be manipulated for formal or poetic effect. Knowledge of basic verb forms and the V2 rule is essential for correctly structuring these wishes.

Words in This Pattern

må