B1 Gerunds & Infinitives 6 min read Medio

Gerund-like Structures

Forget '-ing'—in Swedish, the infinitive with 'att' does all the heavy lifting for verbal nouns.
Marcar como aprendido
Practice it

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Swedish doesn't have an '-ing' ending for verbs; instead, it uses 'att' + the infinitive to turn actions into nouns.

  • Use 'att' + infinitive for subjects: 'Att röka är förbjudet' (Smoking is forbidden).
  • Use 'att' after prepositions: 'Han är bra på att sjunga' (He is good at singing).
  • Use 'utan att' for 'without ...ing': 'Hon gick utan att svara' (She left without answering).
Att + Verb (Infinitive) = 🧠 Noun Concept

Overview

## Overview: The Missing '-ing'
One of the first things English speakers look for in Swedish is the '-ing' ending. You want to say 'I like swimming' or 'Running is fun.' However, Swedish doesn't have a direct morphological equivalent to the English gerund. Instead, Swedish treats the infinitive form of the verb—the base form you find in the dictionary—as a noun.
To do this, we almost always use the particle att.
Think of att not just as 'to', but as a 'noun-maker' for verbs. When you say Att simma är roligt, you are literally saying 'To swim is fun,' but it functions exactly like 'Swimming is fun.' This structure is vital for B1 learners because it allows you to discuss abstract concepts, hobbies, and complex instructions. Without mastering this, your Swedish will sound fragmented and overly simplified.
It is the bridge between simple 'I do' sentences and complex 'The act of doing' sentences.
## How to Form It
Formation is straightforward but requires discipline. You take the infinitive form (usually ending in -a, like tala, äta, sova) and place att before it.
  1. 1Affirmative: att + infinitive. Example: att sjunga (singing/to sing).
  2. 2Negative: att + inte + infinitive. Note the word order! The negation inte comes *between* the particle and the verb. Example: Det är svårt att inte skratta (It is hard not to laugh / It is hard not laughing).
  3. 3With Prepositions: When a verb follows a preposition, you must include att.
  • genom att läsa (by reading)
  • utan att veta (without knowing)
  • för att se (in order to see)
Unlike English, you cannot simply add a suffix to the verb. The present participle in Swedish (ending in -ande or -ende) exists, but it is primarily used as an adjective (e.g., en leende kvinna - a smiling woman) and rarely functions as a noun like the English gerund does.
## When to Use It
You will encounter these structures everywhere in Swedish life.
In the Workplace: You'll use genom att to explain processes. 'Vi kan öka försäljningen genom att annonsera mer' (We can increase sales by advertising more).
Social Media & Hobbies: When describing what you love. 'Jag älskar att vandra i fjällen' (I love hiking in the mountains).
Travel & Directions: 'Det är lättast att ta tåget' (It is easiest taking the train).
Formal Writing: In academic or professional contexts, the subjective infinitive is very common to define terms or rules. 'Att ignorera säkerhetsföreskrifter kan vara farligt' (Ignoring safety regulations can be dangerous).
Essentially, whenever you want to talk about an action as a 'thing' or a 'concept' rather than something a specific person is doing right now, reach for the att-infinitive.
## Common Mistakes
The most frequent error for English speakers is trying to use the Swedish present participle (-ande/-ende) as a gerund.
*Wrong*: Jag gillar simmande.
*Correct*: Jag gillar att simma.
Another common mistake is forgetting the att after a preposition. In English, we say 'He is good at skiing.' In Swedish, you cannot say Han är bra på skida; you must say Han är bra på att skida (or att åka skidor).
Finally, watch the negation order. Learners often put inte after the verb because of English 'to sing not'.
*Wrong*: Att röka inte är bra.
*Correct*: Att inte röka är bra.
## How It's Different From the Present Participle
It is crucial to distinguish between the Substantivisk infinitiv (our gerund-like structure) and the Presens particip (present participle).
In English, 'running' can be a noun ('Running is fun') or an adjective ('The running man'). In Swedish, these are two different forms.
  1. 1Noun (Gerund): Att springa är roligt. (Infinitive)
  2. 2Adjective: Den springande mannen. (Participle)
If you use the participle as a noun, you will sound like you are using archaic, poetic, or highly formal Swedish, or you might simply be misunderstood. For example, en studerande means 'a student' (a person who studies), but att studera is the act of studying. Always default to the infinitive for the action itself.
## CEFR-Level Explanations
A1: In Swedish, we don't have '-ing' words like 'playing' or 'eating' when we talk about hobbies. Instead, we use 'att' and the basic verb. For example, 'I like to eat' is 'Jag gillar att äta'.
If you want to say 'Eating is good', you say 'Att äta är gott'. Just remember: 'att' + the verb you find in the dictionary.
A2: When you want to use a verb as a noun, use 'att' + infinitive. This is common after verbs like 'gilla', 'älska', and 'börja'. You also use it after prepositions.
For example, 'Han är bra på att laga mat' (He is good at cooking). If you want to say 'not', put 'inte' before the verb: 'att inte sova'.
B1: At this level, you should use complex phrases like 'genom att' (by doing) and 'utan att' (without doing). These allow you to explain how things happen. Remember that Swedish uses the infinitive where English uses the gerund.
The present participle (-ande/-ende) is mostly for adjectives, so avoid using it as a subject or object of a sentence.
B2: Mastering the substantival infinitive involves understanding its role as a syntactic subject or object. While English uses the gerund for simultaneous actions, Swedish often employs 'sitta/stå/ligga och' or the 'att'-infinitive depending on the aspect. Note that some verbs require 'att' while others (modal verbs) do not.
Distinguishing between the gerundial use of the infinitive and the adjectival use of the present participle is key for stylistic accuracy.
C1: Advanced usage involves stylistic choices between the infinitive and nominalized verbs (e.g., 'att parkera' vs 'parkering'). While 'att'-infinitives are dynamic, nominalizations can feel more formal. Furthermore, the present participle can occasionally function substantively in specific legal or formal registers (e.g., 'målsäganden'), but the 'att'-infinitive remains the standard for expressing verbal actions as concepts.
C2: At a near-native level, one must navigate the subtle pragmatic shifts between the infinitive construction and the use of 'det att...' clauses to introduce a gerundial concept as a factive complement. Mastery also includes the ability to use archaic or literary present participles in a way that mimics gerunds for specific rhetorical effects, while maintaining the standard 'att'-infinitive for all productive, modern communication.

Meanings

The use of the infinitive form of a verb (usually preceded by 'att') to function as a noun within a sentence, representing an activity or state.

1

Subjective Infinitive

Using the verb as the subject of the sentence, equivalent to the English gerund.

“Att träna varje dag är viktigt.”

“Att fika är en svensk tradition.”

2

Prepositional Complement

Using the infinitive after a preposition to describe how or under what conditions an action happens.

“Jag är trött på att vänta.”

“De började med att äta.”

3

The 'Without' Construction

Using 'utan att' to express that an action did not take place while another did.

“Han gick ut utan att låsa dörren.”

“Hon pratade utan att tänka.”

4

The 'By' Construction

Using 'genom att' to express the means by which something is achieved.

“Man lär sig genom att göra fel.”

“Han sparade pengar genom att cykla.”

Formation of Gerund-like Structures

Function Structure Swedish Example English Meaning
Subject Att + Infinitive Att sova är skönt. Sleeping is nice.
Object Verb + att + Infinitive Jag älskar att dansa. I love dancing.
Negative Att + inte + Infinitive Att inte äta är svårt. Not eating is hard.
Method Genom att + Infinitive Genom att läsa... By reading...
Exclusion Utan att + Infinitive Utan att veta... Without knowing...
Purpose För att + Infinitive För att förstå... In order to understand / For understanding...

Reference Table

Reference table for Gerund-like Structures
Form Structure Example
Affirmative Subject Att + [Verb] Att cykla är kul.
Negative Subject Att inte + [Verb] Att inte röka är bra.
After Preposition [Prep] + att + [Verb] Han är trött på att gå.
Means/Method Genom att + [Verb] Man vinner genom att kämpa.
Without doing Utan att + [Verb] Hon kom utan att ringa.
Purpose För att + [Verb] Jag tränar för att må bra.
Question Är det [Adj] att [Verb]? Är det svårt att lära sig?
Object [Verb] + att + [Verb] Jag gillar att sjunga.

Espectro de formalidad

Formal
Jag hyser en förkärlek för att resa.

Jag hyser en förkärlek för att resa. (hobbies)

Neutral
Jag gillar att resa.

Jag gillar att resa. (hobbies)

Informal
Jag älskar att dra iväg på resor.

Jag älskar att dra iväg på resor. (hobbies)

Jerga
Jag taggar på att dra utomlands.

Jag taggar på att dra utomlands. (hobbies)

The Swedish 'Att' Hub

Att + Infinitive

Subject

  • Att resa Traveling

Method

  • Genom att läsa By reading

Exclusion

  • Utan att fråga Without asking

Emotion

  • Älskar att laga mat Loves cooking

English -ing vs. Swedish Att

English Gerund
Swimming Noun form
Swedish Equivalent
Att simma Infinitive form

How to translate '-ing' to Swedish

1

Is it a noun (e.g., 'Swimming is fun')?

YES
Use 'Att + Infinitive'
NO
Go to next step
2

Is it an adjective (e.g., 'The smiling girl')?

YES
Use Present Participle (-ande/-ende)
NO
Use present tense

Common Prepositional Gerunds

🛠️

Method

  • • Genom att
  • • Med att
❓

Reason

  • • För att
  • • Genom att
🚫

Lack

  • • Utan att
  • • Istället för att
Sign up free to read full explanation

Examples by Level

1

Jag gillar att simma.

I like swimming.

2

Att läsa är kul.

Reading is fun.

3

Han slutade att röka.

He stopped smoking.

4

Är det svårt att skriva?

Is it hard writing?

1

Hon är bra på att sjunga.

She is good at singing.

2

Vi tänker på att flytta.

We are thinking about moving.

3

Det är viktigt att inte stressa.

It is important not to stress.

4

De började med att städa.

They started by cleaning.

1

Han gick utan att säga hejdå.

He left without saying goodbye.

2

Genom att träna blir du starkare.

By exercising, you become stronger.

3

Jag är van vid att arbeta sent.

I am used to working late.

4

Att resa ensam kan vara utmanande.

Traveling alone can be challenging.

1

Att ständigt avbryta andra är oartigt.

Constantly interrupting others is rude.

2

Han lyckades genom att vara envis.

He succeeded by being stubborn.

3

Vi ser fram emot att få träffa er.

We look forward to meeting you.

4

Det lönar sig att vara noggrann.

It pays to be thorough.

1

Att inte ha tagit ställning är också ett val.

Not having taken a stand is also a choice.

2

Genom att belysa problemet skapade hon debatt.

By highlighting the problem, she created debate.

3

Det finns ingen mening med att förneka sanningen.

There is no point in denying the truth.

4

Att behärska ett språk kräver tålamod.

Mastering a language requires patience.

1

Att låta bli att ingripa kan tolkas som samtycke.

Refraining from intervening can be interpreted as consent.

2

Genom att konsekvent tillämpa reglerna undveks kaos.

By consistently applying the rules, chaos was avoided.

3

Det är förenat med livsfara att beträda spårområdet.

It is associated with mortal danger to enter the track area.

4

Att ha överseende med brister är en dygd.

Having indulgence for flaws is a virtue.

Easily Confused

Gerund-like Structures vs Present Participle (-ande/-ende)

Learners use it as a noun because English uses -ing for both nouns and adjectives.

Gerund-like Structures vs Bare Infinitive (without 'att')

Modal verbs (ska, vill, kan) don't use 'att', but gerund-like structures do.

Gerund-like Structures vs Nominalized Nouns

Choosing between 'att parkera' and 'parkering'.

Errores comunes

✗

Jag gillar simma.

✓

Jag gillar att simma.

Missing the particle 'att'.
✗

Simma är roligt.

✓

Att simma är roligt.

A verb as a subject needs 'att'.
✗

Jag är simning.

✓

Jag simmar.

Literal translation of 'I am swimming'.
✗

Att röka inte.

✓

Att inte röka.

Wrong word order for negation.
✗

Han är bra på simma.

✓

Han är bra på att simma.

Missing 'att' after a preposition.
✗

Jag slutade simmande.

✓

Jag slutade att simma.

Using the participle instead of the infinitive.
✗

Vi pratar om resa.

✓

Vi pratar om att resa.

Prepositions must be followed by 'att' + infinitive.
✗

Utan säga hejdå.

✓

Utan att säga hejdå.

The phrase 'without ...ing' must be 'utan att' + infinitive.
✗

Genom träna mer.

✓

Genom att träna mer.

The phrase 'by ...ing' must be 'genom att' + infinitive.
✗

Jag är van vid arbeta.

✓

Jag är van vid att arbeta.

Forgetting 'att' in fixed prepositional phrases.
✗

Att ha inte gjort det.

✓

Att inte ha gjort det.

Negation placement in perfect infinitive.
✗

Meningen med att simmande.

✓

Meningen med att simma.

Over-complicating with participles in formal contexts.
✗

Genom att ha blivit informerat.

✓

Genom att ha blivit informerad.

Agreement errors in passive gerund-like structures.

Sentence Patterns

Det är ___ att ___.

Jag är ___ på att ___.

Man kan ___ genom att ___.

Han gick ___ utan att ___.

Real World Usage

Job Interview very common

Jag är van vid att arbeta i team.

Texting constant

Ska bli kul att ses!

Travel common

Tänk på att stämpla biljetten.

Social Media very common

Älskar att vara här!

Cooking Apps common

Börja med att hacka löken.

Gym/Fitness occasional

Genom att lyfta tungt bygger du muskler.

Sign up free to see all examples
💡

The 'Å' Trick

When listening, listen for the sound 'å'. It's usually 'att'. If you hear 'å' before a verb, it's this gerund-like structure.
⚠️

No -ing!

Never add '-ing' to a Swedish verb. It doesn't exist. If you feel the urge, use 'att' instead.
🎯

Negation Placement

Always put 'inte' BEFORE the verb in these structures. 'Att inte veta' (Not knowing).
💬

Fika as a Noun

You can say 'en fika' (a coffee break) or 'att fika' (the act of having a coffee break). Both are common!

Smart Tips

Swap the '-ing' for 'att' + the Swedish base verb.

Swimming is good. → Att simma är bra.

Always use the double-word markers 'utan att' or 'genom att'.

Han gick utan säga något. → Han gick utan att säga något.

Think of 'att inte' as a single unit that never breaks up.

Att röka inte är dyrt. → Att inte röka är billigt.

Glue them together with 'att'. Prepositions are 'att'-magnets.

Jag är trött på vänta. → Jag är trött på att vänta.

Pronunciación

/o/

The 'att' particle

In spoken Swedish, 'att' is almost always pronounced as 'å'.

lä-sa

Infinitive -a

The final -a in infinitives like 'läsa' is short and clear, never dropped.

Subjective Stress

ATT läsa är roligt.

Stress the 'att' slightly when it starts a sentence to signal the subject.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Att' as the 'Act'—Att simma is the Act of swimming.

Visual Association

Imagine a bridge labeled 'ATT' connecting a Verb island to a Noun island. Without the bridge, the verb can't act like a noun.

Rhyme

When '-ing' is what you want to say, 'Att' plus infinitive saves the day!

Story

A chef named Att always puts an 'a' at the end of his ingredients (infinitives). When he cooks (Att laga mat), he turns actions into delicious noun-dishes.

Word Web

AttInfinitiveGenomUtanFörInteSubstantivisk

Desafío

Write down 3 things you did today using 'genom att' (e.g., I woke up by drinking coffee).

Notas culturales

The phrase 'Att fika' is the most common use of this rule. It's not just 'to have coffee', but the whole social concept.

In Finland-Swedish, the use of 'att' is identical, but the intonation of the infinitive may differ slightly, often with a more melodic rise.

In modern urban slang, 'att' is sometimes dropped in very fast speech after 'gillar', but this is considered non-standard.

The 'att' particle comes from Old Norse 'at', which was used to mark the infinitive, similar to Old English 'to'.

Conversation Starters

“

Vad gillar du att göra på helgerna?

“

Hur lär man sig bäst ett nytt språk?

“

Kan man vara lycklig utan att ha mycket pengar?

“

Vad är det svåraste med att bo i ett nytt land?

Journal Prompts

Beskriv din favoritdag. Vad gillar du att göra?
Hur kan man förbättra sin hälsa? Ge tre tips med 'genom att'.
Berätta om en gång du gjorde något utan att tänka dig för.
Diskutera fördelar och nackdelar med att arbeta hemifrån.
Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Fill in the missing particle and verb form.

Jag gillar ___ (läsa) böcker.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: att läsa
After 'gillar', we use 'att' + infinitive.
Which sentence is grammatically correct? Opción múltiple

Select the correct way to say 'Swimming is fun'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Att simma är roligt.
A verb as a subject needs 'att' + infinitive.
Correct the mistake in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Han gick utan att säger hejdå.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: utan att säga
We must use the infinitive 'säga' after 'utan att'.
Translate: 'By eating well, you feel better.' Sentence Building

___ ___ ___ bra mår du bättre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Genom att äta
'By ...ing' is translated as 'Genom att' + infinitive.
Which of these uses 'att' correctly as a gerund-like structure? Grammar Sorting

Identify the gerund-like use.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag lovar att ringa.
Modal verbs like 'ska', 'vill', and 'kan' do NOT take 'att'. 'Lovar' is a normal verb that does.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Varför är du så trött? B: Jag är trött på ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: att jobba
After the preposition 'på', we use 'att' + infinitive.
Is the following rule true or false? True False Rule

In negative gerund-like structures, 'inte' comes after the verb.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
'Inte' comes before the verb: 'att inte veta'.
Match the English to the Swedish. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Utan att veta, 2-Genom att veta, 3-Att veta
All these structures require 'att' + infinitive.

Score: /8

Ejercicios de practica

8 exercises
Fill in the missing particle and verb form.

Jag gillar ___ (läsa) böcker.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: att läsa
After 'gillar', we use 'att' + infinitive.
Which sentence is grammatically correct? Opción múltiple

Select the correct way to say 'Swimming is fun'.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Att simma är roligt.
A verb as a subject needs 'att' + infinitive.
Correct the mistake in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Han gick utan att säger hejdå.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: utan att säga
We must use the infinitive 'säga' after 'utan att'.
Translate: 'By eating well, you feel better.' Sentence Building

___ ___ ___ bra mår du bättre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Genom att äta
'By ...ing' is translated as 'Genom att' + infinitive.
Which of these uses 'att' correctly as a gerund-like structure? Grammar Sorting

Identify the gerund-like use.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag lovar att ringa.
Modal verbs like 'ska', 'vill', and 'kan' do NOT take 'att'. 'Lovar' is a normal verb that does.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Varför är du så trött? B: Jag är trött på ___.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: att jobba
After the preposition 'på', we use 'att' + infinitive.
Is the following rule true or false? True False Rule

In negative gerund-like structures, 'inte' comes after the verb.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
'Inte' comes before the verb: 'att inte veta'.
Match the English to the Swedish. Match Pairs

1. Without knowing, 2. By knowing, 3. To know

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: 1-Utan att veta, 2-Genom att veta, 3-Att veta
All these structures require 'att' + infinitive.

Score: /8

Preguntas frecuentes (8)

Rarely. It's usually for people (en studerande - a student) or specific formal terms. For actions, always use `att` + infinitive.

Modal verbs like `kan`, `vill`, `ska`, `måste`, and `bör` are followed by the bare infinitive without `att`.

In almost all spoken contexts, yes. If you pronounce it as 'att' (with the 't'), it sounds very formal or like you are reading from a script.

`För att` usually means 'in order to' or 'for the purpose of', while `att` is just the general noun-marker.

Yes! `Att resa är roligt` is a perfect sentence where the verb phrase is the subject.

Use `Jag är van vid att...` followed by the infinitive.

No. To say 'I am swimming', you just say `Jag simmar`. If you want to emphasize it's happening right now, use `Jag håller på att simma`.

No, it is an infinitive particle. However, it often follows prepositions like `på`, `av`, `med`, and `vid`.

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

English moderate

-ing (Gerund)

Swedish has no '-ing' equivalent for verbs acting as nouns.

Spanish high

Infinitivo

Swedish requires 'att' for subjects; Spanish uses the bare infinitive.

German high

zu + Infinitiv / Nominalized Verb

German nominalizes by capitalization; Swedish uses 'att'.

French moderate

Infinitif

Swedish always uses 'att' after prepositions; French uses different particles or none.

Japanese low

Verb + koto / no

Japanese is head-final (nominalizer at the end); Swedish is head-initial.

Chinese none

No change

Swedish uses a grammatical marker ('att'); Chinese relies on position.

Arabic low

Masdar (Verbal Noun)

Arabic uses a derived noun; Swedish uses the infinitive verb form.

Previous
Infinitive as Subject

Related Grammar Rules

B1

Infinitive as Subject

## Overview In Swedish, when you want to talk about an action as a concept—like 'swimming' or 'reading'—you don't use a...
A1

Infinitive Construction

## Overview The infinitive in Swedish is the base form of the verb. When you want to say 'to [verb]', you use the partic...
B1

Infinitive After Verbs

## Overview: The Glue of Swedish Sentences In Swedish, just like in English, we often want to chain two actions together...
Was this helpful?

Comentarios (0)

Inicia Sesión para Comentar
¡No hay comentarios todavía. Sé el primero en compartir tus ideas!