Gender neutral language in Swedish/en: Difference between revisions

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The Swedish language has two grammatical genders, common and neuter. Gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language in Swedish is ~~easier than~~ in ~~many other languages since its~~ grammatical gender is ~~less pervasive than~~ in ~~languages~~ like ~~German or French~~. ~~See~~ the ~~main article on~~ gender ~~neutral~~ language for ~~general reasons to use~~ neutral ~~language, common problems~~ in ~~using~~ it, and ~~its use for gender-diverse people~~.

== Introduction ==

The Swedish language has two grammatical genders, common (en-words, previously feminine and masculine but they are now merged) and neuter (ett-words). Swedish has thus been more adaptable to gender-neutral (or gender inclusive) expressions than languages with rigid feminine-masculine distinctions.

Gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language is a way of communicating that intentionally avoids assumptions about gender. In Swedish, this can mean:

* Using gender-neutral pronouns: ''Hen'' instead of ''han'' (he) or ''hon'' (she).

* Choosing inclusive nouns: ''Vuxen'' (adult) instead of ''kvinna'' (woman) or ''man'' (man).

* Reforming job titles: ''Brandbekämpare'' (firefighter) instead of ''brandman'' (literally “fireman”), and ''sjukskötare'' (caregiver/nurse) instead of ''sjuksköterska'' (traditionally specifically “female nurse”).

=== Why Gender-Neutral Language Matters ===

The goal of gender-neutral language is to foster equality and inclusion for all individuals, regardless of gender, as well as to lessen the excess emphasis and importance that is put on gender in a highly socioculturally gendered society. It helps reduce the risk of misgendering, which can cause discomfort or distress – particularly for people who experience gender dysphoria or those who do not identify within the traditional gender binary.

Gender-neutral language is not only a useful and necessary grammatical tool, but also a social one. It is especially important in contexts where gender is varied/queer, mixed/diverse in a group, irrelevant/unwanted, secret or unknown. By adopting inclusive language, we create environments that respect and acknowledge everyone.

=== History ===

Historically, the Swedish society was, like many others, deeply rooted in a binary understanding of gender. Language reflected this, with most professions and roles being assigned a default gender – often masculine – unless specifically marked as feminine (for example, ''sjuksköterska'' for “nurse” and ''brandman'' for “firefighter”). Over time, as societal attitudes toward gender evolved, so too did the need for language that could accommodate a broader spectrum of identities.

The late 20th and early 21st centuries saw a growing awareness of gender diversity and the limitations of binary language. Activists and linguists began advocating for more inclusive alternatives. This movement gained momentum as Sweden became increasingly recognized for its progressive stance on gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights.

A notable milestone was the introduction and popularization of hen – a gender-neutral pronoun – in the 2010s. Hen was not an entirely new invention; it had appeared in feminist and LGBTQIA+ circles as early as the 1960s, but it was the 21st century that saw it enter mainstream dictionaries and everyday speech.

==Pronouns==

===Gender-neutral third-person singular===

Swedish’s official gender-neutral pronoun is hen/hen/hens. The Swedish common-inanimate pronoun den/den/dens (equivalent to it/it/its) is also used for gender-neutral language and by some nonbinary people~~, as well as the practice of singular~~ de/dem/deras (they/them/their). Some nonbinary people have also opted for ~~neopronoun~~ such as hin/hin/hins, which is ~~in actuality~~ an obsolete pronoun that means something alike “that one”, but is in modern times pretty much only used in the set phrase “hin håle” (the hard one, the devil).

Swedish’s official gender-neutral pronoun is hen/hen/hens. The Swedish common-inanimate pronoun den/den/dens (equivalent to it/it/its) is also used for gender-neutral language and by some nonbinary people. Singular de/dem/deras[https://transformering.se/vad-ar-trans/pronomen] (they/them/their) can often be used as a gender-neutral pronoun without it sounding weird, even though it is not commonly recognized or documented for being able to do so. If de/dem/deras is used in singular, the numeral conjugations of other words could be in singular as well (with regards to it not being common practice). Some nonbinary people have also opted for neopronouns such as hin/hin/hins [https://svenska.se/so/?id=130633][https://sv.wiktionary.org/wiki/hin][https://www.mjolby.se/uppleva-och-gora/fritidsgardar/queerious/ordlista---queerious][https://transformering.se/vad-ar-trans/pronomen], which is actually not a new pronoun but an obsolete pronoun (archaeopronoun) that means something alike “that one”, but is in modern times pretty much only used in the set phrase “hin håle” (the hard one, the devil).

'na and 'an are a shortened, dialectal or old accusative forms of the feminine Swedish pronouns "hon" and the masculine Swedish pronouns "han", 'en could be used for "hen" is a similar way if one uses it in a way that sounds natural.

{| class="wikitable"

! Hen

! Standard gender-neutral/third-~~gender personal~~ pronoun

! Standard gender-neutral third-person pronoun

|-

!hen

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|-

!hen/henom

|Object form is generaly just "hen", but some use "henom". It is very individual.

|Object form is generaly just "hen", but some use "henom". It's very individual.

|-

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Line 51:

!dens/dess

|Possessive form

|Possessive form, "dens" is used only for individual persons referred to by a common-gender word, while "dess" is used for words with common-gender that do not refer to individual persons, as well as for words with neuter-gender

|}

{| class="wikitable"

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Line 79:

===Generic pronoun===

To refer to people in general in Swedish, the pronouns "man/en/en" (one/one/one’s) or "en/en/ens" (one/one/one’s) can be used. Swedish’s generic pronoun man/en/ens has been discussed for being male-generalizing, and some people have opted to use en/en/ens instead to make it gender ~~inclusive~~. ~~The~~ word "man" ~~may~~ have the meaning of "human" in addition to the meaning "male person", but ~~this word~~ is ~~still more associated with~~ male ~~people~~. Using "en" instead of "man" ~~is not only~~ more gender-inclusivity through being non-male-generalizing, ~~but~~ it is also frequently practiced in some of Sweden's regions, so it is a natural grammatical dialect variation in the Swedish language.

To refer to people in general in Swedish, the pronouns "man/en/en" (one/one/one’s) or "en/en/ens" (one/one/one’s) can be used. Swedish’s generic pronoun man/en/ens has been discussed for being male-generalizing, and some people have opted to use en/en/ens instead to make it gender neutral. Even though the word "man" is in modern times specifically associated with and viewed as for male people specifically, does also have the etymological meaning of "human" in addition to the meaning "male person". Although in the use of -man as a suffix, it is usually replaced with -kvinna (-woman) for women because it isn't seen as or used as a synonym for human anymore, but it is specifically ingrained and established as male, but as a generic pronoun it's not necessarily viewed that way. Using "en" instead of "man" can be seen as more gender-inclusivity through being non-male-generalizing, and it is also frequently practiced in some of Sweden's regions, so it is a natural grammatical dialect variation in the Swedish language, but can make some common sentences awkward and is not universally recognized. Either one is fine though. [https://web.archive.org/web/20221102131452/https://www4.isof.se/cgi-bin/srfl/visasvar.py?sok=man&svar=78373&log_id=909986]

"Folk" (people) can in some cases be used as an alternative to using a generic pronoun.

For when it feels awkward to use man/en, alternative phrasing as to avoid using such a pronoun are recommended:

One problem that can occur with the pronouns "man/en" is that the pronouns can hide who is doing what in the sentence. This is especially true in sentences where different acting parts are referred to and the pronouns can be replaced with pretty much any pronoun or noun. So instead of:

* ”På kundtjänst har '''man/en''' (''one'') problem med att '''man/en''' (''one'') ställer otydliga frågor.” That could be read as either: ”På kundtjänst har '''de''' (''they'') problem med att '''du''' (''you'') ställer otydliga frågor.” or ”På kundtjänst har '''ingen''' (''no one'') problem med att '''alla''' (''everyone'') ställer otydliga frågor.” One can instead write out the specific acting parts such as ”På kundtjänst har '''vi''' (''we'') problem med att '''kunderna''' (''customers'') ställer otydliga frågor.”

A good rule of thumb is to always state who is doing what. This will prevent readers from wondering who you are referring to.

"Man/en" is a way of showing that a statement is universal or general, for example, “man/en ska inte ljuga.” (One shouldn't lie.) But there are other ways of expressing yourself that are also general:

* ”Ingen får ljuga.” (No one gets to lie.)

* ”Det är fel att ljuga.” (It is wrong to lie.)

* ”Ljug inte!” (Don't lie!)

"Man/en" also works if you want to refer to anyone within a group or area: "I Sverige fikar man/en mycket." (In Sweden one "fikar" mycket.) Here too, there are plenty of options:

* ”I Sverige fikar vi mycket.” (In Sweden we "fikar" mycket.)

* ”I Sverige är det vanligt att fika.” (It is common in Sweden to "fika".)

* ”Det är en svensk tradition att fika mycket.” (It is a Swedish tradition to "fika" a lot.)

Start primarily from what you think will be clearest to the person you're addressing – that is always a safe bet.[https://sprakkonsulterna.se/alternativ-till-pronomenet-man/]

=== Referring to God===

While the abrahamic God is normally referred to with masculine pronouns even in Swedish, some might opt for using non-g

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 <languages />
 {{Template:Gender neutral language}}
-The Swedish language has two grammatical genders, common and neuter. Gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language in Swedish is easier than in many other languages since its grammatical gender is less pervasive than in languages like German or French. See the main article on gender neutral language for general reasons to use neutral language, common problems in using it, and its use for gender-diverse people.
+== Introduction ==
+The Swedish language has two grammatical genders, common (en-words, previously feminine and masculine but they are now merged) and neuter (ett-words). Swedish has thus been more adaptable to gender-neutral (or gender inclusive) expressions than languages with rigid feminine-masculine distinctions.
+Gender-neutral/gender-inclusive language is a way of communicating that intentionally avoids assumptions about gender. In Swedish, this can mean:
+* Using gender-neutral pronouns: ''Hen'' instead of ''han'' (he) or ''hon'' (she).
+* Choosing inclusive nouns: ''Vuxen'' (adult) instead of ''kvinna'' (woman) or ''man'' (man).
+* Reforming job titles: ''Brandbekämpare'' (firefighter) instead of ''brandman'' (literally “fireman”), and ''sjukskötare'' (caregiver/nurse) instead of ''sjuksköterska'' (traditionally specifically “female nurse”).
+=== Why Gender-Neutral Language Matters ===
+The goal of gender-neutral language is to foster equality and inclusion for all individuals, regardless of gender, as well as to lessen the excess emphasis and importance that is put on gender in a highly socioculturally gendered society. It helps reduce the risk of misgendering, which can cause discomfort or distress – particularly for people who experience gender dysphoria or those who do not identify within the traditional gender binary.
+Gender-neutral language is not only a useful and necessary grammatical tool, but also a social one. It is especially important in contexts where gender is varied/queer, mixed/diverse in a group, irrelevant/unwanted, secret or unknown. By adopting inclusive language, we create environments that respect and acknowledge everyone.
+=== History ===
+Historically, the Swedish society was, like many others, deeply rooted in a binary understanding of gender. Language reflected this, with most professions and roles being assigned a default gender – often masculine – unless specifically marked as feminine (for example, ''sjuksköterska'' for “nurse” and ''brandman'' for “firefighter”). Over time, as societal attitudes toward gender evolved, so too did the need for language that could accommodate a broader spectrum of identities.
+The late 20<sup>th</sup> and early 21<sup>st</sup> centuries saw a growing awareness of gender diversity and the limitations of binary language. Activists and linguists began advocating for more inclusive alternatives. This movement gained momentum as Sweden became increasingly recognized for its progressive stance on gender equality and LGBTQIA+ rights.
+A notable milestone was the introduction and popularization of hen – a gender-neutral pronoun – in the 2010s. Hen was not an entirely new invention; it had appeared in feminist and LGBTQIA+ circles as early as the 1960s, but it was the 21st century that saw it enter mainstream dictionaries and everyday speech.
 ==Pronouns==
 ===Gender-neutral third-person singular===
-Swedish’s official gender-neutral pronoun is hen/hen/hens. The Swedish common-inanimate pronoun den/den/dens (equivalent to it/it/its) is also used for gender-neutral language and by some nonbinary people, as well as the practice of singular de/dem/deras (they/them/their). Some nonbinary people have also opted for neopronoun such as hin/hin/hins, which is in actuality an obsolete pronoun that means something alike “that one”, but is in modern times pretty much only used in the set phrase “hin håle” (the hard one, the devil).
+Swedish’s official gender-neutral pronoun is hen/hen/hens. The Swedish common-inanimate pronoun den/den/dens (equivalent to it/it/its) is also used for gender-neutral language and by some nonbinary people. Singular de/dem/deras[https://transformering.se/vad-ar-trans/pronomen] (they/them/their) can often be used as a gender-neutral pronoun without it sounding weird, even though it is not commonly recognized or documented for being able to do so. If de/dem/deras is used in singular, the numeral conjugations of other words could be in singular as well (with regards to it not being common practice). Some nonbinary people have also opted for neopronouns such as hin/hin/hins [https://svenska.se/so/?id=130633][https://sv.wiktionary.org/wiki/hin][https://www.mjolby.se/uppleva-och-gora/fritidsgardar/queerious/ordlista---queerious][https://transformering.se/vad-ar-trans/pronomen], which is actually not a new pronoun but an obsolete pronoun (archaeopronoun) that means something alike “that one”, but is in modern times pretty much only used in the set phrase “hin håle” (the hard one, the devil).
+'na and 'an are a shortened, dialectal or old accusative forms of the feminine Swedish pronouns "hon" and the masculine Swedish pronouns "han", 'en could be used for "hen" is a similar way if one uses it in a way that sounds natural.
 {| class="wikitable"
 ! <u>Hen</u>
-! Standard gender-neutral/third-gender personal pronoun
+! Standard gender-neutral third-person pronoun
 |-
 !hen
@@ Line 15: / Line 36: @@
 |-
 !hen/henom
-|Object form is generaly just "hen", but some use "henom". It is very individual.
+|Object form is generaly just "hen", but some use "henom". It's very individual.
 |-
@@ Line 30: / Line 51: @@
 !dens/dess
-|Possessive form
+|Possessive form, "dens" is used only for individual persons referred to by a common-gender word, while "dess" is used for words with common-gender that do not refer to individual persons, as well as for words with neuter-gender
 |}
 {| class="wikitable"
@@ Line 58: / Line 79: @@
 ===Generic pronoun===
-To refer to people in general in Swedish, the pronouns "man/en/en" (one/one/one’s) or "en/en/ens" (one/one/one’s) can be used. Swedish’s generic pronoun man/en/ens has been discussed for being male-generalizing, and some people have opted to use en/en/ens instead to make it gender inclusive. The word "man" may have the meaning of "human" in addition to the meaning "male person", but this word is still more associated with male people. Using "en" instead of "man" is not only more gender-inclusivity through being non-male-generalizing, but it is also frequently practiced in some of Sweden's regions, so it is a natural grammatical dialect variation in the Swedish language.
+To refer to people in general in Swedish, the pronouns "man/en/en" (one/one/one’s) or "en/en/ens" (one/one/one’s) can be used. Swedish’s generic pronoun man/en/ens has been discussed for being male-generalizing, and some people have opted to use en/en/ens instead to make it gender neutral. Even though the word "man" is in modern times specifically associated with and viewed as for male people specifically, does also have the etymological meaning of "human" in addition to the meaning "male person". Although in the use of -man as a suffix, it is usually replaced with -kvinna (-woman) for women because it isn't seen as or used as a synonym for human anymore, but it is specifically ingrained and established as male, but as a generic pronoun it's not necessarily viewed that way. Using "en" instead of "man" can be seen as more gender-inclusivity through being non-male-generalizing, and it is also frequently practiced in some of Sweden's regions, so it is a natural grammatical dialect variation in the Swedish language, but can make some common sentences awkward and is not universally recognized. Either one is fine though. [https://web.archive.org/web/20221102131452/https://www4.isof.se/cgi-bin/srfl/visasvar.py?sok=man&svar=78373&log_id=909986]
+"Folk" (people) can in some cases be used as an alternative to using a generic pronoun.
+For when it feels awkward to use man/en, alternative phrasing as to avoid using such a pronoun are recommended:
+One problem that can occur with the pronouns "man/en" is that the pronouns can hide who is doing what in the sentence. This is especially true in sentences where different acting parts are referred to and the pronouns can be replaced with pretty much any pronoun or noun. So instead of:
+* ”På kundtjänst har '''man/en''' (''one'') problem med att '''man/en''' (''one'') ställer otydliga frågor.” That could be read as either: ”På kundtjänst har '''de''' (''they'') problem med att '''du''' (''you'') ställer otydliga frågor.” or ”På kundtjänst har '''ingen''' (''no one'') problem med att '''alla''' (''everyone'') ställer otydliga frågor.” One can instead write out the specific acting parts such as ”På kundtjänst har '''vi''' (''we'') problem med att '''kunderna''' (''customers'') ställer otydliga frågor.”
+A good rule of thumb is to always state who is doing what. This will prevent readers from wondering who you are referring to.
+"Man/en" is a way of showing that a statement is universal or general, for example, “man/en ska inte ljuga.” (One shouldn't lie.) But there are other ways of expressing yourself that are also general:
+* ”Ingen får ljuga.” (No one gets to lie.)
+* ”Det är fel att ljuga.” (It is wrong to lie.)
+* ”Ljug inte!” (Don't lie!)
+"Man/en" also works if you want to refer to anyone within a group or area: "I Sverige fikar man/en mycket." (In Sweden one "fikar" mycket.) Here too, there are plenty of options:
+* ”I Sverige fikar vi mycket.” (In Sweden we "fikar" mycket.)
+* ”I Sverige är det vanligt att fika.” (It is common in Sweden to "fika".)
+* ”Det är en svensk tradition att fika mycket.” (It is a Swedish tradition to "fika" a lot.)
+Start primarily from what you think will be clearest to the person you're addressing – that is always a safe bet.[https://sprakkonsulterna.se/alternativ-till-pronomenet-man/]
+=== Referring to God===
+While the abrahamic God is normally referred to with masculine pronouns even in Swedish, some might opt for using non-g