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. [+ i (object)] 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, she is in love with her best friend's girlfriend.
    • 1959, Stikkan Anderson (lyrics and music), “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 (lyrics and music), “Rosen [The rose]”:
      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 red as blood, so that you understood, that it is you that I hold dear.

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

References
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