Reporting Verbs
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the -s form of verbs like 'säga' or 'tro' to report rumors or general beliefs without naming a specific person.
- Add -s to the verb to make it passive: 'säga' becomes 'sägas' (is said).
- Use 'Det' as a placeholder: 'Det sägs att...' (It is said that...).
- Use a personal subject: 'Han sägs vara...' (He is said to be...).
Meanings
Passive reporting verbs allow you to convey information, rumors, or general opinions without attributing them to a specific source. They function similarly to the English 'it is said that' or 'he is considered to be'.
Rumors and hearsay
Using 'sägas' or 'ryktas' to talk about things people are talking about but aren't confirmed.
“Det ryktas att de ska gifta sig.”
“Han sägs ha vunnit på lotto.”
General opinion or reputation
Using 'anses' or 'betraktas' to describe how someone or something is viewed by society.
“Hon anses vara en av de bästa i världen.”
“Filmen anses vara ett mästerverk.”
Expectations and estimates
Using 'beräknas' or 'väntas' for future events or statistical data.
“Tåget beräknas anlända klockan tio.”
“Priserna väntas stiga nästa år.”
Common Reporting Verbs in Passive Form
| Infinitive | Present (-s) | Past (Preteritum) | Supine | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sägas | sägs | sades | sagts | be said |
| anses | anses | ansågs | ansetts | be considered |
| tros | tros | troddes | trotts | be believed |
| påstås | påstås | påstods | påståtts | be claimed |
| ryktas | ryktas | ryktades | ryktats | be rumored |
| uppges | uppges | uppgavs | uppgetts | be reported |
| beräknas | beräknas | beräknades | beräknats | be estimated |
| väntas | väntas | väntades | väntats | be expected |
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative (Det) | Det + Verb-s + att + clause | Det sägs att han är här. |
| Affirmative (Personal) | Subject + Verb-s + infinitive | Han sägs vara här. |
| Negative (Det) | Det + Verb-s + inte + att + clause | Det sägs inte att han är här. |
| Negative (Personal) | Subject + Verb-s + inte + infinitive | Han sägs inte vara här. |
| Question (Det) | Verb-s + det + att + clause? | Sägs det att han är här? |
| Question (Personal) | Verb-s + Subject + infinitive? | Sägs han vara här? |
| Past Tense | Subject + Verb-s (past) + infinitive | Han sades vara rik. |
| Perfect Tense | Subject + har + Verb-s (supine) + infinitive | Han har sagts vara rik. |
격식 수준 스펙트럼
Han uppges vara förmögen. (Discussing someone's finances)
Han sägs vara rik. (Discussing someone's finances)
Man säger att han har mycket pengar. (Discussing someone's finances)
Ryktet går att han är tät. (Discussing someone's finances)
The World of Reporting Verbs
Rumors
- sägas be said
- ryktas be rumored
Opinions
- anses be considered
- betraktas be viewed
Claims
- påstås be claimed
- uppges be reported
Active vs. Passive Reporting
Choosing Your Structure
Do you want to start with 'Det'?
Do you want to focus on the Person?
Examples by Level
Folk säger att han är snäll.
People say that he is kind.
Många tror att det ska regna.
Many people think it will rain.
De säger att maten är god.
They say the food is good.
Jag hörde att du är sjuk.
I heard that you are sick.
Man säger att det är kallt i norr.
They say it's cold in the north.
Det sägs att han har mycket pengar.
It is said that he has a lot of money.
Man tror att krisen är över.
People believe the crisis is over.
Här anses det vara oartigt.
Here it is considered to be rude.
Han sägs vara en mycket skicklig läkare.
He is said to be a very skilled doctor.
Det påstås att företaget ska säljas.
It is claimed that the company will be sold.
Zlatan anses vara Sveriges bästa spelare.
Zlatan is considered to be Sweden's best player.
Tåget beräknas anlända om tio minuter.
The train is estimated to arrive in ten minutes.
Gärningsmannen uppges ha lämnat platsen i en röd bil.
The perpetrator is reported to have left the scene in a red car.
Resultaten tros bero på den nya metoden.
The results are believed to be due to the new method.
Han föregavs vara expert på området.
He was alleged to be an expert in the field.
Det sades att ingenting kunde stoppa dem.
It was said that nothing could stop them.
Åtgärderna förutsätts leda till ökad tillväxt.
The measures are assumed to lead to increased growth.
Han befaras ha omkommit i olyckan.
He is feared to have perished in the accident.
Detta torde anses vara ett brott mot reglerna.
This ought to be considered a breach of the rules.
Boken förmodas vara skriven på 1700-talet.
The book is presumed to be written in the 18th century.
Det förmäls i krönikan att kungen red genom staden.
It is recounted in the chronicle that the king rode through the city.
Vederbörande påstås ha agerat i god tro.
The person in question is claimed to have acted in good faith.
Fenomenet betraktas numera som en historisk anomali.
The phenomenon is nowadays regarded as a historical anomaly.
Hennes inflytande sades genomsyra hela organisationen.
Her influence was said to permeate the entire organization.
Easily Confused
Both end in -s, but deponens verbs (like 'hoppas', 'andas') are active in meaning.
Learners use 'säger' when they mean 'it is said'.
Using 'tycker' (to think/opine) in formal contexts.
자주 하는 실수
Jag är sagd att...
Det sägs att jag...
Folk sägs att...
Folk säger att...
Det blir sagt att...
Det sägs att...
Säger det att...
Det sägs att...
Han sägs att vara rik.
Han sägs vara rik.
Det anses han vara snäll.
Han anses vara snäll.
Det ryktas han ska sluta.
Det ryktas att han ska sluta.
Han ansågs vara vunnit.
Han ansågs ha vunnit.
Det påstås att han är en tjuv av polisen.
Han påstås av polisen vara en tjuv.
Sades det att han kommer?
Sades det att han skulle komma?
Han förmodas att ha gjort det.
Han förmodas ha gjort det.
Det uppgavs han vara sjuk.
Han uppgavs vara sjuk.
Sentence Patterns
Det sägs att ___.
___ anses vara ___.
___ påstås ha ___.
Tåget/Flyget beräknas ___ klockan ___.
Real World Usage
Mannen påstås ha flytt landet.
Tåget beräknas ankomma 12:45.
Det ryktas att chefen ska sluta.
Metoden anses vara revolutionerande.
Jag anses vara stresstålig av mina kollegor.
Det sägs att den nya filmen är usel.
The 'Ha' Trick
Avoid 'Är sagd'
Use 'Anses' for CVs
The 'Lär' Alternative
Smart Tips
Replace 'Jag tror' or 'Folk säger' with 'Det anses' or 'Det sägs'.
Always use 'ha' + supine after the reporting verb.
Look for the 'att' later in the sentence to find the actual information being reported.
Use 'påstås' instead of 'sägs'. It subtly signals that the claim might be false.
발음
The -s ending
The -s at the end of these verbs is always voiceless, like the 's' in 'sit'. It does not change to a 'z' sound.
Stress in 'anses'
The stress is on the first syllable 'an-', and the 's' is joined smoothly to the end.
Reporting Intonation
Det sägs ↘ att han är här.
A slight drop in pitch after the reporting verb to introduce the new information.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Remember 'S-A-P-T': Sägas, Anses, Påstås, Tros. These are the four kings of reporting.
Visual Association
Imagine a newspaper with a giant '-S' on the front page. Every headline uses an '-s' verb to show it's reported news, not just a personal opinion.
Rhyme
When the source is out of sight, add an -S to make it right!
Story
A spy is listening to a conversation. He doesn't know who said it, so he writes in his notebook: 'Det sägs...' (It is said). He sees a man and writes: 'Han anses...' (He is considered). He hears a claim: 'Det påstås...' (It is claimed).
Word Web
챌린지
Look at a Swedish news site (like SVT or DN) and find three sentences using a verb ending in -s that isn't a normal passive (like 'stängs').
문화 노트
Swedish journalists are very careful with 'påstås' (claimed) vs 'uppges' (reported). 'Påstås' often implies that the speaker doesn't necessarily believe the claim.
In Sweden, using 'anses' can be a way to avoid sounding too boastful. Instead of saying 'I am the best,' one might say 'Jag anses vara duktig' (I am considered capable).
In universities, the passive reporting verb is the standard. Using 'Jag tror' (I think) is often seen as too subjective.
The -s passive in Swedish evolved from the Old Norse reflexive pronoun 'sik' (himself/herself/itself).
Conversation Starters
Vad anses vara den bästa maten i Sverige?
Vem sägs vara den mest kända personen från din stad?
Det ryktas att det ska bli en kall vinter, vad tror du?
Vilka egenskaper anses vara viktigast på en arbetsplats?
Journal Prompts
Test Yourself
Det ___ att det ska bli snö imorgon.
Han anses ___ en av de bästa spelarna.
Find and fix the mistake:
Det ryktas han ska gifta sig.
Hon ___ i London.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
You can use 'bli' to form reporting passives like 'Det blir sagt'.
A: Har du hört om den nya chefen? B: Ja, hon ___ vara väldigt sträng.
Sägas, Anses, Hoppas, Påstås
Score: /8
연습 문제
8 exercisesDet ___ att det ska bli snö imorgon.
Han anses ___ en av de bästa spelarna.
Find and fix the mistake:
Det ryktas han ska gifta sig.
Hon ___ i London.
1. Anses, 2. Påstås, 3. Beräknas
You can use 'bli' to form reporting passives like 'Det blir sagt'.
A: Har du hört om den nya chefen? B: Ja, hon ___ vara väldigt sträng.
Sägas, Anses, Hoppas, Påstås
Score: /8
자주 묻는 질문 (8)
`Sägs` is the present tense (is said), while `sägas` is the infinitive (to be said). You use `sägs` in most sentences: `Det sägs att...`.
Yes! `Han lär vara rik` means the same as `Han sägs vara rik`. `Lär` is very common in spoken Swedish and acts like a reporting particle.
We use `ha` + supine to report something that happened in the past. It's like the English 'He is said to HAVE won'.
It is neutral to formal. In very informal speech, people often just say `De säger att...` (They say that...).
Usually, yes. `Han anses vara snäll`. However, you can sometimes drop it in very concise writing: `Han anses snäll`.
`Påstås` (is claimed) often carries a hint of doubt. It suggests that someone is making a claim, but it might not be true.
Use the preterite form `sades`. Example: `Det sades att kriget var slut` (It was said that the war was over).
Yes! `Anses han vara duktig?` (Is he considered capable?). Just flip the verb and the subject.
In Other Languages
It is said that / He is said to
Swedish uses one word (sägs) where English uses three (is being said).
Man sagt / Es wird gesagt / Er soll ... sein
German uses 'sollen' for rumors, while Swedish uses the passive of 'säga'.
On dit que / Il est dit que
French uses 'on' much more frequently than Swedish uses the passive.
Se dice que
Spanish cannot easily use the personal construction (He is said to be) like Swedish can.
〜と言われている (~to iwarete iru)
Japanese reporting often implies a more collective, social consensus.
يُقال أن (Yuqal 'anna)
Arabic uses a change in the verb stem rather than a suffix like Swedish.
据说 (Jùshuō)
Chinese uses a fixed lexical item rather than a grammatical transformation of the verb 'to say'.
