vän

See also: vaen, væn, and Appendix:Variations of "van"

Swedish

Alternative forms
  • vaͤn (obsolete typography)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse vænn (“which gives hope about”).

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /vɛːn/

Adjective

vän (comparative vänare, superlative vänast)

  1. (dated) fair, beautiful
Declension
Inflection of vän
Indefinite Positive Comparative Superlative2
Common singular vän vänare vänast
Neuter singular vänt vänare vänast
Plural väna vänare vänast
Masculine plural3 väne vänare vänast
Definite Positive Comparative Superlative
Masculine singular1 väne vänare vänaste
All väna vänare vänaste
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
  • vänhet

Etymology 2

From Old Norse vinr, from Proto-Germanic *winiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wenh₁- (“to seek, desire, love, win”).

Pronunciation
  • audio(file)
    ("en vän", meaning "a friend")
  • IPA(key): /vɛn/

Noun

vän c (feminine: väninna, only among women)

  1. a friend
    De var bästa vänner under hela sin skoltid
    They were best friends throughout their school years
    Vi är bara vänner
    We’re just friends (i.e. not a couple)
    • 1989, Jakob Hellman (lyrics and music), “Vara vänner [Be friends]”, in ...och stora havet [...and the great sea]:
      Och bara, bara vara vänner och tala om allt. Vi kan väl tala om allt men vi ska bara, bara vara vänner och tala om allt. Vi kan väl tala om allt med varann.
      And just, just be friends and talk about anything [everything]. I guess we can talk about anything, but we will [shall] just, just be friends and talk about anything. I guess we can talk about anything with each other.
    • 1993, “Eloise”, Gert Lengstrand (lyrics), Lasse Holm (music), performed by Arvingarna:
      Eloise, är vi mer än bara vänner? Så visa vad du känner, och sen får känslorna bestämma. Eloise, även vindarna kan vända. För mig är du den enda. Vår kärlek den är värd ett högre pris, Eloise.
      Eloise, are we more than just friends? So show what you feel, and then we let the feelings decide [and then the feelings get to decide]. Eloise, the tide [winds] can also turn [in addition to him turning back, perhaps]. For me you are the only one. Our love [it] is worth a higher price, Eloise.
  2. (often as a suffix) a supporter, a friend
    Norgevän
    someone who is fond of and/or supports Norway, a friend of Norway
Declension
Declension of vän 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative vän vännen vänner vännerna
Genitive väns vännens vänners vännernas
Derived terms

References
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