tyckas + Infinitive

Seem to (Formal)

Level 4

Tycks + infinitive presents an apparent situation; tycktes places that impression in the past. Compare Han tycks förstå and Han tycktes förstå.

How It Works

Expressing An Impression
Tyckas can introduce what seems to be happening or what appears to be true. In Situationen tycks förbättras, the situation appears to improve. The speaker leaves room for uncertainty.

Comparison With Verka
Verka and tyckas overlap in meaning. Forskningen tycks visa att... can summarize an inference from research, while Hon tycktes honom gåtfull explicitly gives one person’s impression. The contrast is not objective tyckas versus subjective verka. Both allow impressions, and context identifies their basis. Tyckas is useful in formal writing but is not restricted to it.

Forms And Complements
The common forms are infinitive tyckas, present tycks, past tycktes and supine tyckts. With a verb complement, use the usual bare-infinitive model: Han tycks förstå. A predicate adjective is also possible: Han tycktes beredd. The -s is part of this deponent use; it does not mean someone is performing an action on the subject.

Tycks ha förstått uses the perfect infinitive ha + supine. The present impression concerns an earlier understanding. Tycktes förstå instead locates the impression in the past. An intervening clause adverbial is normal: Han tycktes inte förstå allvaret.

Tycker Or Tycks?
Jag tycker att rapporten är bra states my opinion. Rapporten tycks vara bra says the report appears good. Tyckas is an infinitive, so Jag tyckas cannot serve as the ordinary finite present-tense predicate. Choose both the meaning and the correct finite form.

Examples (4)

  1. Situationen tycks förbättras.

    The situation seems to be improving.

    Word by Word: The situation seems to improve.

  2. Han tycktes inte förstå allvaret.

    He didn't seem to understand the seriousness.

    Word by Word: He seemed not to understand the seriousness.

  3. Resultaten tycks bekräfta vår hypotes.

    The results seem to confirm our hypothesis.

    Word by Word: The results seem to confirm our hypothesis.

    This is a typical example from an academic or formal context.

  4. Företaget tycks ha återhämtat sig efter krisen.

    The company seems to have recovered after the crisis.

    Word by Word: The company seems to have recovered after the crisis.

    Here, tycks is followed by a perfect infinitive (ha återhämtat sig) to talk about a past event that seems to be true now.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing tyckas (to seem) with tycka (to think/have an opinion).

    Jag tyckas att rapporten är bra.
    Jag tycker att rapporten är bra. / Rapporten tycks vara bra.

    Tyckas is an infinitive, so it cannot serve as the ordinary finite present form here. For an opinion use Jag tycker att rapporten är bra. For an impression about the report use Rapporten tycks vara bra.

  • Forgetting the -s ending, especially in the past tense.

    Patienten tyckte må bättre igår.
    Patienten tycktes må bättre igår.

    For the intended meaning the patient seemed to feel better, use tycktes. Tyckte is the past of tycka, have an opinion; it is not the past form of tyckas.

How It Connects

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

tyckas + InfinitiveLevel 4Seem to (Formal)

Learn This First

To understand 'tyckas + infinitive', you first need to be comfortable with deponent verbs (verbs ending in -s that aren't passive). It is also helpful to understand the more common synonym 'verka' and how Swedish verbs generally link to infinitives using the marker 'att'.

Words in This Pattern

tyckas