kär

See also: Appendix:Variations of "kar"

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish kær, from Old Norse kærr, from Old Northern French ker, kier, quer (Old French chier, cher), from Latin cārus (“dear”), from Proto-Italic *kāros, from Proto-Indo-European *keh₂- (“to desire, to wish”). Doublet of hora.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɕɛːr/, [ɕæːr]
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -æːr

Adjective

kär (comparative kärare, superlative kärast)

  1. [with i] in love, enamored
    Synonyms: förälskad, (colloquial) betuttad
    Jag tror jag börjar bli kär i honom.
    I think I'm starting to fall in love with him.
    Åh herregud, hon är kär i sin bästa kompis tjej.
    Oh my God, she is in love with her best friend's girlfriend.
    De är kära (i varandra).
    They are in love (with each other).
    • 1959, Stikkan Anderson, “Är du kär i mej ännu Klas-Göran? [Are you still in love with me Klas-Göran?]”, performed by Lill-Babs:
      Är du kär i mig ännu, Klas-Göran? Har du kvar dina känslor för mig? Jag går hemma på fäbo[de]n och väntar. Och jag har kvar mina känslor för dig.
      Are you still in love with me, Klas-Göran? Do you still have your feelings for me? I'm home on [lit. "walking home on"] the shieling waiting. And I still have my feelings for you.
  2. dear, beloved
    Synonym: (not comparable) älskad
    Min kära syster, kan du ge mig ett glas vatten, tack!
    My dear sister, can you hand me a glass of water, please?
    att hålla någon kär
    to hold someone dear
    • 1963, Arne Qvick, “Rosen [The rose]”‎[1]:
      Ty just nu idag så köpte jag en liten ros i en blomsteraffär. En ros röd som blod så att du förstod att det är dig som jag håller kär.
      For just now today I bought a small rose in a flower shop. A rose as red as blood so that you understood that it is you that I hold dear.
    • 1992, Benny Astor, Figge Boström, “Gunga [Swing]”‎[2]performed by Apopocalyps:
      Lilla vän, vad tänker du på? Hur får du tiden att gå? Du ligger alldeles ensam där, men du ska veta att jag håller dig så kär, så kär.
      Little friend [or "little one" or the like, but doesn't sound quite as literary], what are you thinking about? How do you make the time go by / pass the time [get the time to go]? You are lying there all alone, but you should know that I hold you so dear, so dear.

Usage notes

Note that in Swedish, one is in love “in” someone rather than “with” someone.

Declension

Inflection of kär
Indefinite positive comparative superlative1
common singular kär kärare kärast
neuter singular kärt kärare kärast
plural kära kärare kärast
masculine plural2 käre kärare kärast
Definite positive comparative superlative
masculine singular3 käre kärare käraste
all kära kärare käraste

1 The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
2 Dated or archaic.
3 Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

References

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