ålder
common gender
The Swedish word for age is ålder.
ålder is a noun used to describe the amount of time that has passed since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing.
Meaning: amount of time since the birth of a being or the beginning of a thing (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ålder is the noun, you should use the verb åldras to describe the process of becoming old or growing old. To express causing something or someone to grow old, you can use föråldras or the phrase få någon att åldras.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The definite form of ålder, meaning 'the age', is åldern. The plural form is åldrar, though this is rarely used to mean historical eras and is instead found in specific technical or statistical contexts.
Did you know?
- The word åldersstigna is a polite, formal way to refer to 'elderly' people, literally meaning those who have 'risen in age'.
- While ålder refers to age, the Swedish word år means 'year', and Swedes often omit ålder entirely when stating their age, saying Jag är tjugo år instead of Min ålder är tjugo.
- The adjective föråldrad, derived from the process of growing old föråldras, is used to describe something that is 'obsolete' or 'outdated', such as technology or laws.
Examples in context
- Tom är i min ålder.Tom is my age.This sentence is useful for saying someone is a certain age, such as 'my age', using ålder.Tatoeba #3711495 by herrsilen, translation #3171308 by CK
- Åldern spelar ingen roll.Age doesn't matter.This sentence is useful for stating that age is not a factor, using åldern.Tatoeba #9163198 by morbrorper, translation #9163113 by CK
- Hon är ungefär i min ålder.She's about the same age as me.This sentence is useful for approximating someone's age, using ålder.Tatoeba #2266520 by Tximist, translation #1173722 by CK
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alice and Erik are filling out a registration form together.
- AliceVad ska jag skriva för ålder här?What age should I write here?
- ErikDu skriver bara din faktiska ålder, Alice.Just write your actual age, Alice.
- AliceÄr det viktigt med rätt ålder?Is the correct age important?
- ErikJa, det krävs för att få rabatt.Yes, it is required to get a discount.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “age” translations and entries ålder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
