Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| ingenting | /ˈɪŋɛnˌtɪŋ/ |
| inget | /ˈɪŋˌɛt/ |
| intet |
The word is used to express the absence of any thing. While ingenting is a pronoun that can stand alone as a subject or object, often providing emphasis, other forms like inget are used to modify specific nouns.
Which one should you use?
The form inget is the neuter singular version used to modify neuter nouns, whereas ingenting is typically used as a standalone pronoun. If you are referring to a person rather than a thing, you must use the related form ingen instead of inget or ingenting.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Intet is a formal synonym for nothing, but it is considered archaic and is rarely used in modern spoken Swedish. Ingenting is used for emphasis or in more formal contexts than the shorter inget.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Ingenting serves as a pronoun used as a standalone subject or object.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɪŋɛnˌtɪŋ/
Did you know?
- The word ingenting shares a structural pattern with allting ('everything') and någonting ('something'), all using the root ting.
- The word ingenting literally translates to 'no things'. It is built from the word ingen, which traces back to an old neuter plural form.
- While intet is now archaic, it remains a common sight in historical legal texts and older literature to mean 'nothing'.
Examples in context
- Inget kan gå fel.Nothing can go wrong.This sentence shows how to use inget to express that nothing can go wrong.Tatoeba #4445775 by richke, translation #2891774 by CK
- Inget här är mitt.Nothing here is mine.This sentence demonstrates the use of inget to claim ownership of nothing in a specific place.Tatoeba #4445787 by richke, translation #3415223 by CK
- Jag har inget kvar.I have nothing left.This sentence illustrates using inget to say that nothing remains.Tatoeba #11854485 by Pineapple, translation #5859816 by CK
- Jag har ingenting att säga på mötet.I have nothing to say at the meeting.
- Allt jag hör är intetsägande ord.All I hear are meaningless words.
- Vad gjorde du igår? Ingenting alls.What did you do yesterday? Nothing at all.
- Jag har noll aning om vad som hände.I have no idea what happened.
- 129 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea and Oscar are looking through an empty box in the attic.
- LinneaFinns det något i lådan?Is there anything in the box?
- OscarNej, det finns ingenting där i.No, there is nothing in there.
- LinneaÄr du säker på det?Are you sure about that?
- OscarJa, jag ser ingenting.Yes, I see nothing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nothing” translations and entries ingenting, inget, intet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ingenting, intet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
