Swedish verbs, embraces nearly all weak verbs having a, o, u, or å as their radical vowel, followed by a consonant; as, fråga, 'to ask.' To this conjugation belong also generally verbs compounded of particles, or having two or more syllables; as, afskeda, 'to dismiss;' arbeta, 'to labour.'
To the second conjugation belong many verbs having a soft radical vowel, as e, i, y, ä, or ö; as, leda, 'to lead;' spilla, 'to spill;' pryda, 'to adorn;' svälla, 'to swell;' föda, 'to give birth to.'
The third conjugation, which now is without the final a in the infinitive, is of comparatively modern origin, that characteristic termination having been present in the Old Swedish; as, att boa, instead of bo, 'to dwell;' att troa, instead of tro, 'to believe.'
The fourth, or strong mode of conjugation, which is the most ancient and most flexible of any, comprises five distinct classes of verbs; as, (1) verbs in which the imperf. indicative ends in short a; (2) in long a; (3) in o; (4) in e; (5) in ö. As —
Imp. Indic. Past. Part. binda, to bind, band, bundit. gifva, to give, gaf, gifvit. taga, to take, tog, tagit. skrifva, to write, skref, skrifvit. klyfva, to cleave, klöf, klufvit.
Some verbs may be declined according both to the first and the second form of conjugation; as, (att) dela, 'to share,' which may be written imperf. delade or delte, participle past delat or delt.
