What is supinum?
Supinum is a verb form unique to Scandinavian languages. It's used with 'har' (have) to form the perfect tense — describing things that have happened and are still relevant now.
Jag har bott i Sverige i tre år.
I have lived in Sweden for three years.
Har du ätit lunch?
Have you eaten lunch?
Supinum by verb group
Each group has its own supinum ending.
| Group | Infinitive | Supinum | Perfect example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | tala | talat | Jag har talat |
| 2a | ringa | ringt | Jag har ringt |
| 2b | köpa | köpt | Jag har köpt |
| 3 | bo | bott | Jag har bott |
| 4 | skriva | skrivit | Jag har skrivit |
Perfect vs past tense: when to use which
Use the past tense (preteritum) for finished events at a specific time. Use the perfect (har + supinum) when the action is relevant to now, or when the time isn't specified.
Jag åt lunch klockan tolv.
I ate lunch at twelve. (specific time → past tense)
Jag har ätit lunch.
I have eaten lunch. (relevant now: I'm not hungry → perfect)
Hon bodde i Malmö förra året.
She lived in Malmö last year. (specific time → past)
Hon har bott i Malmö.
She has lived in Malmö. (at some point, relevant now → perfect)
If you can insert 'yesterday' or 'last week' naturally, use past tense. If the focus is on 'it's done' or 'ever/never', use perfect.
Practice
Test yourself — 6 quick exercises on this topic.
1 of 6
Fill in the blank:
Hon har ___ en bok. (written)