bära

Swedish

Etymology

Category:Swedish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#BÄRACategory:Swedish terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰer-#BÄRA

From Old SwedishCategory:Swedish terms inherited from Old Swedish#BÄRACategory:Swedish terms derived from Old Swedish#BÄRA bæra, from Old NorseCategory:Swedish terms inherited from Old Norse#BÄRACategory:Swedish terms derived from Old Norse#BÄRA bera, from Proto-GermanicCategory:Swedish terms inherited from Proto-Germanic#BÄRACategory:Swedish terms derived from Proto-Germanic#BÄRA *beraną, from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:Swedish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#BÄRA *bʰer- (whence also börja, bår and barn). Cognate with Danish bære, Norwegian bære, and English bear.[1]

Pronunciation

Verb

bära (present bär, preterite bar, supine burit, imperative bär)Category:Swedish lemmas#BÄRACategory:Swedish verbs#BÄRACategory:Swedish entries with incorrect language header#BÄRACategory:Pages with entries#BÄRACategory:Pages with 1 entry#BÄRA

  1. to carry; to lift and transport anywhere else
    • 1914, Dan Andersson, “Utrivning”, in Kolarhistorier, page 34:
      Isen var så tjock och där var så djupt till vattnet att man fick ställa sig på knä i snön för att ösa upp vatten i hinken.
      Två sådana fans, vi buro upp dem fulla och ställde dem ett stycke från milan.
      The ice there was so thick and it was so deep to the water that one had to get down on ones knees in the snow, to scoop up water into the bucket.
      There were two of those, and we carried them filled and put them down a bit away from the charcoal pile.
      Category:Swedish terms with quotations#BÄRA
  2. to wear; e.g. a piece of clothing or jewelry
  3. (often with a particle like upp) to support, to bear
    Taket bärs upp av pelare
    The roof is supported by columns
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
    Jag hoppas isen bär
    I hope the ice will carry us (will be able to support us)
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
  4. (bära frukt) [for a plant] to bear fruit or berries (but also figuratively speaking)
    Äppelträdet bär mycket mer än i fjol
    The apple tree has produced / is bearing / yields much more [fruit] than last year
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
    Ansträngningarna bar frukt
    The efforts proved fruitful (bore fruit)
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
  5. (often impersonalCategory:Swedish impersonal verbs#BÄRA) to head (compare "head" sense of English "bear")
    Imorgon bär det av (till Säffle)!
    Tomorrow we're (setting) off (to Säffle)! ("Tomorrow it heads off (to Säffle)!") / Tomorrow it's off to Säffle!
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
    En bit fram bär vägen utför
    A little further on, the road goes downhill ("A bit forth the road heads downhill")
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
    Vem vet vart det bär hän?
    Who knows where it will lead? ("Who knows where it heads away (to)?)
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA
    Vi får se vart det bär hän
    We will see where it goes / what happens
    Category:Swedish terms with usage examples#BÄRA

Usage notes

"Bära hän" can be considered an (often somewhat jocularly old-fashioned) idiom.

Conjugation

Conjugation of bära (class 4 strong)
active passive
infinitive bära bäras
supine burit burits
imperative bär
imper. plural1 bären
present past present past
indicative bär bar bärs, bäres bars
ind. plural1 bära buro bäras buros
subjunctive2 bäre bure bäres bures
present participle bärande
past participle buren

1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Category:Swedish strong verbs#BÄRACategory:Swedish class 4 strong verbs#BÄRA

Synonyms

  • (lead to): leda (till)

Derived terms

References

  1. bära in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)
Category:Pages with 1 entry Category:Pages with entries Category:Swedish class 4 strong verbs Category:Swedish impersonal verbs Category:Swedish lemmas Category:Swedish strong verbs Category:Swedish terms derived from Old Norse Category:Swedish terms derived from Old Swedish Category:Swedish terms derived from Proto-Germanic Category:Swedish terms derived from Proto-Indo-European Category:Swedish terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰer- Category:Swedish terms inherited from Old Norse Category:Swedish terms inherited from Old Swedish Category:Swedish terms inherited from Proto-Germanic Category:Swedish terms with audio pronunciation Category:Swedish terms with quotations Category:Swedish terms with usage examples Category:Swedish verbs