-tion/-sion
Noun Suffix (From Latin)
Learn word pairs: informera–information, diskutera–diskussion.
The noun form and stem changes are established vocabulary.
How It Works
The suffixes -tion and -sion are borrowed from Latin, often via French, and are used to create abstract nouns from verbs. This makes them very common in academic, technical, and formal language. Related words often exist in English, but their spelling, meanings and countability do not necessarily match.
Key Rules:
- Gender: Nouns formed with this suffix family have common gender. With a countable singular use the article en.
- Plural: Countable nouns in this family normally have plural -er. Some nouns, such as information in ordinary usage, are generally used as mass nouns rather than with a plural. For example,
en lektion(a lesson) becomesflera lektioner(several lessons). See plural endings for more details. - Verb Base: Many nouns are related to verbs in -era, but these pairs involve established stem alternations rather than a freely applicable spelling rule.
-informera(to inform) →information
-producera(to produce) →produktion
-diskutera(to discuss) →diskussion
-revidera(to revise) →revision
Many words in this family were borrowed as complete words. New formations rely on borrowing or analogy, whereas an extensively productive way to form action nouns is the -ning suffix (e.g., läsa → läsning).
Examples (5)
- Jag behöver mer information om kursen.
I need more information about the course.
Word by Word: I need more information about the-course.
Information is used as a mass noun here: mer information, not a count of separate informations.
- Produktionen av den nya modellen har ökat.
The production of the new model has increased.
Word by Word: The-production of the new model has increased.
- Vi hade en lång och intressant diskussion.
We had a long and interesting discussion.
Word by Word: We had a long and interesting discussion.
- Hans reaktion förvånade alla.
His reaction surprised everyone.
Word by Word: His reaction surprised all.
- Beslutet togs efter noggrann övervägning och konsultation.
The decision was made after careful consideration and consultation.
Word by Word: The-decision was-taken after careful consideration and consultation.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong gender ('ett' instead of 'en').
Det var ett bra diskussion.Det var en bra diskussion.Diskussion belongs to the common-gender suffix family: en diskussion, diskussionen. Learn the gender as part of the established word.
Inventing a -tion noun instead of using an established word.
Jag gillar målation.Jag gillar målning.Målation is not the established Swedish word. Use målning for painting, or att måla for the activity. This is a question of established word formation, not a rule that each verb’s historical origin mechanically selects one suffix.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The -tion and -sion suffixes create abstract nouns from Latin roots. To use them correctly, a learner needs to know that these are 'en' words (noun genders), how to make them definite (-en suffix), and how to form their plurals (usually -er).
- -or/-ar/-er/-nPlural Endings
Nouns ending in -tion and -sion follow specific pluralization rules (typically taking the -er suffix), which requires familiarity with the standard plural endings.
Level 1 - -en/-etDefinite Singular Suffix
To use these abstract nouns in context, the learner must know how to apply the definite singular suffix to 'en' words.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- -ningAction/result Noun
-(N)ing is a productive action-noun pattern. It also works with borrowed stems, as in parkera–parkering, so Latin versus Germanic origin is not an absolute division between the suffix families.
Level 3 - Noun genders
The -tion/-sion suffix family has common gender, as in en diskussion and produktionen. Article use and plural use also depend on whether the noun is countable.
Foundations - -hetAbstract Noun Suffix
Like '-tion', '-het' is a suffix used to create abstract nouns. However, '-het' is typically added to adjectives to denote a quality (e.g.,
Level 3säker(safe/secure) ->säkerhet(safety/security)), whereas '-tion' is added to verbs to denote an action or result. - -are-er (Person)
While '-tion' creates a noun for the action (e.g.,
Level 3organisation), other suffixes create a noun for the person performing the action. Although -are is the most common agent suffix in Swedish, verbs of Latin origin often use other suffixes like '-ör' (e.g.,organisatör- organizer).
Practice -tion/-sion in Bubblegum
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