kär

See also: kar, kaer, Kar, kár, Kár, kâr, Kär, kår, kær, kar., and kār-

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”).

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

Adjective

kär (comparative kärare, superlative kärast)

  1. [+ i (object)] in love, enamored
    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, she is in love with her best friend's girlfriend.
    Synonyms: förälskad, (colloquial) betuttad
  2. dear, beloved
    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 (lyrics and music), “Rosen”:
      En ros röd som blod, så att du förstod att det är dig som jag håller kär.
      A rose as red as blood, so much that you understood it is you that I hold dear.
    Synonym: (not comparable) älskad

Usage notes

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

Declension
Inflection of kär
Indefinite Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular kär kärare kärast
Neuter singular kärt kärare kärast
Plural kära kärare kärast
Masculine plural3 käre kärare kärast
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 käre kärare käraste
All kära kärare käraste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.
2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
3) Dated or archaic

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Further reading
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