äta
/²ɛːta/
The Swedish verb for 'eat' is äta.
The verb äta is used when referring to the act of consuming a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, people may use the word fika when talking about having a snack or coffee.
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense is äter, and the past tense is åt. The supine form, which is used alongside the auxiliary verb har (have), is ätit. If you want to give a command, use the imperative form ät.
How do you pronounce it?
/²ɛːta/
Did you know?
- When Swedes talk about eating 'out' at a restaurant, they often use the phrase äta ute, but for a 'takeout' meal, they use the term hämtmat, which means 'fetch-food'.
- In certain informal contexts, Swedes might use the word käka instead of äta, which is a much more colloquial and slang-like way to say 'eat'.
- The Swedish verb äta shares a common ancestor with the English word 'eat' and the German word 'essen', as they all stem from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- Vad ska du äta?What will you eat?This sentence shows how to use äta in a question about future plans.Tatoeba #5240207 by zrajm, translation #2591596 by tanay
- Jag kan inte äta.I can't eat.This sentence uses äta to express an inability to eat.Tatoeba #2654381 by herrsilen, translation #1951551 by CK
- Du måste äta mer.You need to eat more.This sentence uses äta to express a necessity to eat more.Tatoeba #10662956 by Pineapple, translation #4666957 by CK
- Jag ska äta middag med mina vänner ikväll.I'm going to have dinner with my friends tonight.
- Äter du kött?Do you eat meat?
- Jag ska käka middag med mina kompisar ikväll.I'm gonna grab dinner with my buddies tonight.
- Ska vi äta något gott idag?Should we eat something tasty today?
- 116 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Karl and Emma are discussing dinner plans.
- KarlNär vill du äta middag?When do you want to eat dinner?
- EmmaJag vill äta klockan sex.I want to eat at six o'clock.
- KarlSka vi äta på restaurang?Shall we eat at a restaurant?
- EmmaJa, det låter bra, Karl.Yes, that sounds good, Karl.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries äta, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries äta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
