How to Say "Are" in Swedish - How To Say Guide

är

The English phrase 'are' is translated into Swedish as är.

är is the present tense form of the verb 'to be'.

Which one should you use?

While English distinguishes between 'am', 'is' and 'are', Swedish uses the single form är for all these person and number combinations.

The Swedish verb är is invariant, meaning it stays the same regardless of whether the subject is singular (I, he, she, it) or plural (we, you, they).

In Swedish, you can express a continuous action by using håller på att followed by the verb, because är cannot be used to form a present continuous tense like the English 'I am running'.
The word är is a direct descendant of the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁es-, making it a distant cousin of the English word 'is' and the Latin 'est'.
While är is used for current states, Swedish often avoids using the verb 'to be' entirely when describing temporary emotions or feelings, instead using verbs like känna sig meaning 'to feel oneself'.

Var är vi nu?
Where are we now?
This example shows how to use är to ask about a current location.
Tatoeba #2022962 by herrsilen, translation #1886643 by CK
Är du ny här?
Are you new here?
This example uses är to ask a question about someone's status.
Tatoeba #3842318 by herrsilen, translation #502232 by marauder016
Är du i fara?
Are you in danger?
This example uses är to ask a question about a person's safety.
Tatoeba #4317333 by richke, translation #2648576 by CK
Är ni redo för mötet?
Are you ready for the meeting?
Hur är ni alla?
How are you all?
Är det bra att vi ses imorgon?
Is it good that we meet tomorrow?
Lisa och Anna är bästa vänner.
Lisa and Anna are best friends.
Jag är trött.
I am tired.
Vi är klara.
We are ready.
1175 more sentences on Tatoeba

Alice and Erik are talking about their friends.

Sources

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