bestämma

be- +‎ stämma, like German bestimmen

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bestämma (present bestämmer, preterite bestämde, supine bestämt, imperative bestäm)

1. to decide (from a position of getting to decide things)
   1. to decide (something) from a position of authority

      Jag bestämmer att kebabsåsen måste göras krämigare

      I'm deciding (as a person who gets to decide things) that the kebab sauce must be made creamier

   2. to decide (something) from a position of getting to decide things more generally

      Kunderna får själva bestämma vilken sås de vill ha

      Customers get to decide themselves which sauce they want

      Synonym: (often) välja (“choose”)

   3. to be the one in charge, to be the one calling the shots, to be the one who gets to decide

      Kunderna bestämmer

      Customers (get to) decide

      Jag bestämmer här!

      I am in charge here! / I am the one calling the shots here! / I am the person who decides things here!

      Han bestämmer över skogen

      He is in charge of / gets to decide over / rules the forest

      Kungen bestämde över landet

      The king ruled ("decided over") the country

      Vem bestämmer här?

      Who's in charge / calls the shots here?

      De lät Nisse bestämma

      They let Nisse decide

      Du bestämmer inte över mig!

      You're not my boss!

2. (reflexive) to decide (as an individual or group)

   De bestämde sig för att beställa pizza

   They decided to order pizza

   Jag kan inte bestämma mig

   I can't make up my mind ("I can't decide")

3. to determine (something)

   bestämma avståndet till Jupiter

   determine the distance to Jupiter

4. (grammar) to modify

Like "rule," "be in charge," etc. in sense (sense 1), but general to any role where someone gets to decide things.

• bestämmelse
• bestämning

• bestämma in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• bestämma in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• bestämma in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• bestämma in Reverso Context (Swedish-English)