Gender neutral language in Swedish: Difference between revisions

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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:<!--T:146-->

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

* Reforming job titles: ''Brandbekämpare'' (firefighter) instead of ''brandman'' (literally “fireman”), and ''sjukskötare'' (caregiver/nurse) instead of ''sjuksköterska'' (traditionally specifically “female nurse”).<!--T:151-->

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

The goal of gender-neutral language is to foster equality and inclusion for all individuals, regardless of gender. 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.<!--T:147-->

=== History ===

Historically, Swedish society, like many others, was 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.

<translate><!--T:4--> Swedish’s official gender-neutral pronoun is hen/hen/hens. '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. 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). </translate>

<translate><!--T:149--> While the abrahamic God is normally referred to with masculine pronouns even in Swedish, some might opt for using non-gendered words instead as to not apply human concepts to God. To do that one can instead just say "Gud" (God) instead of a pronoun, or the pronoun "de" (typically plural they, is sometimes used as singular they, but using it as plural might seem fitting for a trinity) or "hen" (gender-neutral singular they). The latter (*two, but especially the latter hen) might be controversial depending on who one asks.</translate>

|<translate><!--T:235--> Kvinnlig, feminin, tjejig, honlig, tjejkropp, gynisk (reffered from English's "gynous") </translate>

|<translate><!--T:236--> Manlig, maskulin, killig, hanlig, killkropp, andrisk (refferred from English's "androus")</translate>

|<translate><!--T:237--> icke-binär, intersex/interkönad, androgyn, neutral, okönad/könlös</translate>

<translate><!--T:183--> '''Note 1:''' The words "enby" and "enban" were made for nonbinary people specifically, but could be used by nonbinary intersex people who identify with it. They can also be used by parents for their intersex children "if" the child expresses an identification with not being specifially a girl or a boy and wants to use those words. These words are, however, not condoned by everyone since they do reinforce gendering. It's important to remember that words like "girl", "boy" and "enby" are gendered nouns, while endosex, intersex, female and male is about biological sex and should be used as descriptors for such, thus people opt not to have any single specific gendered person-nouns for intersex people.

<translate><!--T:186--> '''Note 4:''' Some nonbinary people dislike "enby" and see it as infantilizing.

*'''Gemål/äktenskaplig partner/gift partner.''' Neutral, formal, little use/standard. Means wedded spouse.

*'''Du, hörru, sörru, ni, hörrni, sörruni, allihop, allesammans, folk, vännen, vän(ner), barn/ungar, kamrat, älskling (sarcastic), homie, bestie, gamer, kiddo, buddy, yo, ey, sib, comrade, baby (sarcastic), human, person, fam, chat, peeps, y'all.''' Gender-neutral alternatives for informal/playful words and phrases like bror (bro), mannen (the man), girl(s), gal(s), sis, miss, man, dude(s), lad(s), pal(s), mate(s), bro(s), guy(s)/my guy(s).

*'''Förtrollare/trollkonstnär/förhäxare/häxkonstnär/magiker.''' Neutral. Means enchanter/enchantment artist/bewitcher/witchcrafter/witchcraft artist/magician and can be used as non-male-generalizing alternatives for "trollkarl" (magic/enchanter-man, warlock/wizard). They can also be used to avoid the feminine connotations to "häxa" (witch), even though it can be seen as a gender-neutral word in itself.

*'''Partyperson, festare, partajare, partydjur.''' Neutral alternatives for the loanwords partygirl and partyboy.