-s (reciprok)

Reciprocal Verbs

Level 3

Learn reciprocal verbs as vocabulary: Vi träffas means “We meet”, and Vi ses på fredag means “See you on Friday”. Not every verb can acquire a mutual meaning with -s.

How It Works

In Swedish, the -s ending is a very common and efficient way to express a reciprocal action, meaning an action that two or more people do to each other.

Formation and Usage
For established reciprocal s-verbs, learn the whole paradigm. With träffa, the forms are träffas, träffades, träffats. Other verbs have different present-tense changes: möter corresponds to möts, not möters. Slåss also has a special spelling; do not apply one mechanical add-s rule to every verb.

  • Infinitive: träffa → träffas (to meet each other)
  • Present Tense: träffar → träffas (meet each other)
  • Past Tense (Preterite): träffade → träffades (met each other)
  • Supinum (for perfect tenses): träffat → träffats (have met each other)

Let's see this in full sentences:

  • Present: Vi träffas varje vecka. (We meet each other every week.)
  • Past: Vi träffades igår. (We met each other yesterday.)
  • Perfect: Vi har inte träffats på länge. (We haven't met each other in a long time.)

Common Reciprocal Verbs
This structure is very common with verbs related to meeting, communicating, and interacting:

  • ses (to see each other)
  • hörs (to hear from each other, to be in touch)
  • mötas (to meet up)
  • skiljas (to separate, to part ways)
  • slåss (to fight each other)

Reciprocal -s vs. Varandra
While the -s form is common, the main alternative is using the pronoun varandra (each other). The two patterns can differ in meaning: Vi ses often refers to meeting, while Vi ser varandra can simply mean that we can see one another. However, some verbs cannot take the reciprocal -s and must use 'varandra'.

  • Correct: Vi älskar varandra. (We love each other.)
  • Different meaning: Vi älskas. (This would be interpreted as the s-passive, meaning 'We are loved'.)

Reciprocal s-verbs are often included among deponent verbs, which retain -s without an ordinary passive meaning. Other deponents, such as hoppas (hope) and minnas (remember), are not reciprocal. The ending alone does not identify the meaning.

Examples (5)

  1. Vi ses på fredag!

    We'll see each other on Friday!

    Word by Word: We see-each-other on Friday!

    'ses' is the reciprocal form of 'se' (to see). It's a very common way to say 'see you'.

  2. De träffades på universitetet.

    They met at the university.

    Word by Word: They met-each-other at the-university.

    'träffades' is the past tense of 'träffas' (to meet each other). The action is mutual.

  3. Vi hörs nästa vecka.

    We'll be in touch next week. / Talk to you next week.

    Word by Word: We hear-from-each-other next week.

    'hörs' (from 'höra', to hear) is a common phrase for saying you'll communicate again soon.

  4. Paret bestämde sig för att skiljas.

    The couple decided to separate.

    Word by Word: The-couple decided them for to separate-from-each-other.

    'skiljas' (from 'skilja', to separate) implies a mutual separation.

  5. Har ni setts nyligen?

    Have you seen each other recently?

    Word by Word: Have you seen-each-other recently?

    This example shows the reciprocal form in the perfect tense, using the supinum form 'setts'.

Common Mistakes

  • Adding a direct object after reciprocal träffas.

    Jag träffas min kompis klockan fem.
    Jag träffar min kompis klockan fem.

    Use träffar with the direct object min kompis. Reciprocal meaning requires multiple participants, but they need not all be the grammatical subject; some reciprocal verbs take a singular subject plus med, such as Jag slåss med min bror.

  • Using 'varandra' redundantly with -s verbs.

    Vi kramas varandra.
    Vi kramas. / Vi kramar varandra.

    The verb 'kramas' already means 'to hug each other'. You don't need to add 'varandra'. Adding it is redundant. Choose either the -s verb or the regular verb + 'varandra'.

  • Adding -s to verbs that don't support it.

    Vi förstås inte.
    Vi förstår inte varandra.

    Not all verbs can be made reciprocal with -s. For 'förstå' (to understand), you must use 'varandra'. The form 'förstås' means 'of course' or is the passive 'is understood', which changes the meaning completely.

How It Connects

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

-s (reciprok)Level 3Reciprocal Verbs

Learn This First

To understand reciprocal verbs like 'träffas' (meet each other), you first need to understand how Swedish verbs are conjugated. It is also helpful to understand the concept of reciprocity through the pronoun 'varandra' and be familiar with the -s suffix used in passive constructions, as they share the same form.