björn
/bjøːrn/common gender
The English word 'bear' translates to björn in Swedish.
In its primary sense, björn refers to the large mammal of the family Ursidae. It is a common-gender noun. In a financial context, the word can also be used as an adjective to describe a market characterized by falling prices.
Meaning: large mammal of family Ursidae (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word björn changes depending on whether you are talking about specific bears or multiple bears. The definite form (the bear) is björnen. The plural indefinite form (bears) is björnar, and the plural definite form (the bears) is björnarna.
How do you pronounce it?
/bjøːrn/
Did you know?
- The word björn is a common Swedish male given name, which is far more unusual in English-speaking cultures.
- In Swedish folklore, the bear was often referred to as 'the old man of the forest' to avoid saying its real name, which was believed to summon the creature.
- The word björn shares a deep linguistic ancestor with the English word 'brown', suggesting that the ancient name for the animal was based on its color.
Examples in context
- Såg du björnen?Did you see the bear?This sentence is useful for practicing the definite form of björn.Tatoeba #10714535 by Pineapple, translation #8962489 by CK
- Björnen brummar.The bear growls.This sentence is useful for seeing björn used as the subject of a sentence.Tatoeba #2148155 by herrsilen, translation #8781091 by weihaiping
- Jägaren följde björnspåren.The hunter followed the bear tracks.This sentence is useful for seeing how the word appears in compound forms like 'bear tracks'.Tatoeba #4171759 by richke, translation #5006713 by Lindoula
- Jag har sett en björn i skogenI've seen a bear in the forest
- Jag köpte en nalle åt min lillasysterI bought a teddy bear for my little sister
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maja and Lucas are looking at a picture book in a library.
- MajaTitta, här är en stor björn.Look, here is a large bear.
- LucasJa, den björnen ser väldigt stark ut.Yes, that bear looks very strong.
- MajaJag vill se en riktig björn i skogen.I want to see a real bear in the forest.
- LucasDet är nog ganska läskigt, Maja.That is probably quite scary, Maja.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bear” translations and entries björn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries björn, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
