hävda

See also: hávda

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse hefða.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Verb

hävda (present hävdar, preterite hävdade, supine hävdat, imperative hävda)

2. to claim (with assurance, especially something that might be up for debate)

   Near-synonym: (claim, more generally) påstå

   Den åtalade hävdar att han handlade i nödvärn

   The defendant claims he acted in self-defense

   Bill Clinton hävdade att han aldrig haft sexuellt samröre med Monica Lewinsky

   Bill Clinton claimed that he never had sexual relations with Monica Lewinsky

   Hur kan man hävda något sådant?

   How can you make such a claim?

   1. to argue, to maintain, to assert, to contend, etc.

      Vi hävdar att det är fel metod i detta fall

      We argue that it's the wrong method in this case

      Jag hävdar att han ljuger

      I maintain that he's lying

      Min klient hävdar bestämt att han är oskyldig

      My client is adamant [firmly asserts] that he is innocent

3. to assert ((firmly) maintain and defend)

   hävda sin rätt

   assert one's rights

   1. to maintain, to enforce, etc.

      hävda sin oskuld

      maintain one's innocence

      De tvekar inför att hävda sina rättigheter

      They are reluctant to enforce their rights

4. (reflexive) to assert oneself

   att våga hävda sig

   to dare to assert oneself

   Nisse hävdade sig i tävlingen

   Nisse asserted himself in the competition

   hävda sig i en tuff bransch

   hold one's own in a tough field

   Han ska alltid hålla på och hävda sig

   He's always going around trying to one-up people [asserting himself]

   "Hävda sig" can have a tone of showing off or picking fights or the like unless context makes it clear that it's in a positive sense.

5. to (cultivate or otherwise utilize and) maintain (a property)

Usage notes

(sense 1) only implies that others might disagree with the claim. This might sometimes but not always imply that it is questionable.

Conjugation

Conjugation of hävda (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	hävda		hävdas
supine	hävdat		hävdats
imperative	hävda		—
imper. plural1	hävden		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	hävdar	hävdade	hävdas	hävdades
ind. plural1	hävda	hävdade	hävdas	hävdades
subjunctive2	hävde	hävdade	hävdes	hävdades
present participle		hävdande
past participle		hävdad

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

Related terms

• hävd
• hävdelse

References

• “hävda”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “hävda”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “hävda”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)