S-Verbs (Reciprocal) in Swedish

Overview

Swedish has a distinctive group of verbs that end in -s in all their forms. These are called s-verb and they express reciprocal actions (doing something to each other), passive meaning, or have become fixed forms with their own unique meanings. You will encounter them early at the CEFR A1 level because several very common verbs --- like finnas (to exist), träffas (to meet each other), and hoppas (to hope) --- belong to this group.

S-verbs look like passive forms (and historically come from the same source), but many have developed independent meanings that you need to learn as separate vocabulary items. The good news is that they conjugate simply: just keep the -s at the end of every form.

How It Works

Types of S-Verbs

Type	Meaning	Example
Reciprocal	Each other	träffas (meet each other), ses (see each other)
Deponent	Fixed meaning, always -s	finnas (exist), hoppas (hope), lyckas (succeed)
Passive-like	Something happens	tyckas (seem), kännas (feel like), behövas (be needed)

Conjugation

S-verbs conjugate like their base verb group but add -s to every form:

Form	träffas (meet)	finnas (exist)	hoppas (hope)
Infinitive	träffas	finnas	hoppas
Present	träffas	finns	hoppas
Past	träffades	fanns	hoppades
Supine	träffats	funnits	hoppats

Note: finnas has the shortened present form finns (not "finnars").

Common S-Verbs You Need to Know

Swedish	English	Type
finnas	to exist, there is/are	Deponent
träffas	to meet (each other)	Reciprocal
ses	to see each other	Reciprocal
hoppas	to hope	Deponent
lyckas	to succeed	Deponent
minnas	to remember	Deponent
tyckas	to seem	Deponent
kännas	to feel (like)	Passive-like
behövas	to be needed	Passive-like
bråkas	to quarrel	Reciprocal
kramas	to hug (each other)	Reciprocal
skiljas	to separate/divorce	Reciprocal

Finnas: The Most Important S-Verb

Finnas is used for existence, like "there is/there are" in English:

Swedish	English
Det finns kaffe.	There is coffee.
Det finns många butiker här.	There are many shops here.
Finns det mjölk?	Is there milk?

Examples in Context

Swedish	English	Note
Vi träffas imorgon.	We'll meet (each other) tomorrow.	Reciprocal
Det tycks vara sant.	It seems to be true.	Deponent
Det finns många sorter.	There exist many kinds.	Existence
Hon lyckades till slut.	She succeeded in the end.	Deponent, past
Jag hoppas att det går bra.	I hope it goes well.	Deponent
Vi ses på fredag!	See you on Friday!	Reciprocal farewell
Det känns bra.	It feels good.	Passive-like
Jag minns inte.	I don't remember.	Deponent
De bråkades hela tiden.	They quarreled all the time.	Reciprocal
Finns det en bank här nära?	Is there a bank near here?	Existence question
Vi kramades länge.	We hugged (each other) for a long time.	Reciprocal
Det behövs mer tid.	More time is needed.	Passive-like

Common Mistakes

Dropping the -s from deponent verbs

• Wrong: Jag hoppa att det blir bra.
• Right: Jag hoppas att det blir bra.
• Why: Deponent verbs like hoppas always end in -s. There is no form without it.

Confusing träffa and träffas

• Wrong: Vi träffar imorgon. (meaning "we meet each other")
• Right: Vi träffas imorgon.
• Why: Träffa means "to meet someone" (you need an object). Träffas means "to meet each other" (reciprocal, no object needed).

Using finns without det

• Wrong: Finns kaffe?
• Right: Finns det kaffe?
• Why: In questions, det is still needed as a formal subject, even though the word order is inverted.

Adding -s to regular verbs for reciprocal meaning

• Wrong: Vi pussas. (when meaning a one-time kiss)
• Right: Vi pussas is actually correct for reciprocal meaning (kissing each other), but be aware the -s changes the meaning from active to reciprocal.
• Why: Not every verb can simply add -s; the reciprocal form must be established usage.

Usage Notes

S-verbs are extremely common in everyday Swedish. Vi ses! (See you!) and Vi hörs! (Talk to you later!) are standard casual farewells. Det finns is used constantly for talking about existence and availability.

In spoken Swedish, tycks and verkar (seems) are nearly interchangeable, but verkar is more common in casual speech while tycks sounds slightly more formal or written.

Deponent verbs cannot be used without the -s --- they have no active form with the same meaning. You cannot say jag hoppa or jag lycka in standard Swedish.

Practice Tips

• Start with the three most useful s-verbs: finns, träffas, and hoppas. Use them in daily sentences: Det finns kaffe. Vi träffas klockan tre. Jag hoppas det blir sol.
• Practice the reciprocal farewells until they are automatic: Vi ses! Vi hörs! Vi träffas snart!
• When you encounter a new s-verb, check whether it is reciprocal or deponent. This tells you whether a non-s version with a different meaning also exists.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Present Tense (Verb Groups) --- understanding regular verb conjugation helps you see how s-verbs modify the pattern