-r
Third Conjugation Verbs
For third-conjugation verbs such as bo, tro and sy, add -r: bor, tror, syr. Learn the past forms too: bo–bodde–bott and sy–sydde–sytt.
How It Works
In Swedish, regular verbs are often sorted into conjugations or groups. Third-conjugation verbs have a stem ending in a stressed vowel, with infinitives such as bo, sy and tro. Their preterite ends in -dde and their supine in -tt. A vowel-final infinitive alone does not identify this group: se–ser–såg and gå–går–gick have strong past-tense patterns.
To form the present tense, you just add an -r to the infinitive form.
Here is the pattern:
- bo (to live) → bor (live/lives)
- tro (to believe) → tror (believe/believes)
- sy (to sew) → syr (sew/sews)
- må (to feel) → mår (feel/feels)
This is one of the simplest verb conjugation patterns in Swedish. Unlike English, the verb form doesn't change for different subjects:
- Jag bor i Sverige. (I live in Sweden.)
- Du bor i Sverige. (You live in Sweden.)
- Han bor i Sverige. (He lives in Sweden.)
This group is smaller than the -ar verbs and -er verbs, but it contains many common and important verbs.
Examples (5)
- Jag bor i ett hus.
I live in a house.
Word by Word: I live in a house.
- Hon tror på spöken.
She believes in ghosts.
Word by Word: She believes in ghosts.
- Hur mår du?
How are you?
Word by Word: How feel you?
'Må' (to feel) is a very common -r verb used in greetings.
- Vi syr våra egna kläder.
We sew our own clothes.
Word by Word: We sew our own clothes.
- Varför flyr de?
Why are they fleeing?
Word by Word: Why flee they?
Common Mistakes
Confusing -r verbs with -er verbs by adding '-er' instead of just '-r'.
Jag boer i Malmö.Jag bor i Malmö.Bo forms bor by adding -r, not -er. Compare the different stem pattern läsa → läser. For the full third-conjugation pattern, also learn bodde and bott.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn -r verbs (the third conjugation), you first need a foundational understanding of how Swedish verbs conjugate in general. Since this group is specifically defined by its vowel structure, knowing the difference between short and long vowels is also necessary for correct identification and pronunciation.
- Basic verb conjugation
Understanding that Swedish verbs change form based on conjugation groups is essential before learning specific groups like -r verbs.
Foundations - Tense concepts
Learners need to understand the concept of present and past tense to apply the specific endings used in the third conjugation.
Foundations - Short vs long vowels
The third conjugation consists of verbs ending in a long vowel; understanding vowel length is key to identifying and pronouncing these verbs correctly.
Foundations
Related Patterns
- -arFirst Conjugation Verbs
This is the first and largest verb conjugation. It's important to learn to distinguish -ar verbs (tala -> talar) from -r verbs (bo -> bor).
Level 1 - -erSecond Conjugation Verbs
This is the second major verb conjugation. Learners often confuse it with -r verbs, so it's helpful to study them together to see the difference (läsa -> läser vs. tro -> tror).
Level 1 - Irregular verbs
The present ending alone does not identify a complete conjugation: se–ser–såg and gå–går–gick have strong past forms. Learn these paradigms alongside bo–bor–bodde.
Level 1 - attTo (Infinitive Marker)
The word 'att' marks the infinitive (base form) of a verb, such as 'att bo' or 'att tro'. You remove 'att' and add '-r' to conjugate the verb in the present tense.
Level 1
Practice -r in Bubblegum
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