föda

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word föda. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word föda, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say föda in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word föda you have here. The definition of the word föda will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition offöda, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: foda, foeda, and fœða

Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈføːˌda/
  • Audio:(file)

Etymology 1

From Old Norse fœða, fœði (food), from Proto-Germanic *fōdijô, *fōdô, from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-. Cognate with Danish føde, Icelandic fæða, English food.

Noun

föda c (uncountable)

  1. food; sustenance
    Är han gammal nog att äta fast föda än?
    Is he old enough to eat solid food yet?
Declension
Declension of föda
nominative genitive
singular indefinite föda födas
definite födan födans
plural indefinite
definite

Etymology 2

From Old Swedish fø̄þa, from Old Norse fœða (to feed, to give birth), from Proto-Germanic *fōdijaną. Cognate with Danish føde, Icelandic fæða, English feed, Dutch voeden.

Verb

föda (present föder, preterite födde, supine fött, imperative föd)

  1. (intransitive, transitive) to feed (provide with nutrition)
    Synonym: (chiefly of animals or of actively feeding someone) mata
    Vi har ett helt regemente att föda
    We have a whole regiment to feed (mata sounds a bit childish (as if actively being fed like an animal or small child) or colloquial here)
  2. (intransitive, transitive) to give birth (to)
    Hon födde en son
    She gave birth to a son
    att föda
    to give birth
    1. (passive voice, intransitive) to be born
      När föddes hon?
      When was she born?
      att födas
      to be born
      • 1971, Contact (lyrics and music), “Fyrvaktarns dotter [The lighthouse keeper's daughter]”, in Utmarker [Outfields]‎:
        Hon föddes i kostern på väg in mot land, liten och tunn i bränningens kittel. Stormarna hälsade henne till livet, men moderns själ bar de till himlen. Och klockorna sjöng i Dyrö församling. De ringde för fyrvaktarns dotter.
        She was born in the koster on the way to land, small and thin in the cauldron of the surf. The storms greeted her to life, but her mother's soul they bore to heaven. And the bells sang in Dyrö parish. They were ringing for the lighthouse keeper's daughter.
Usage notes

The passive födas (literally, "to be given birth to") is used for "to be born." Though etymologically unrelated, compare English "bear a child" and "be born."

Conjugation

References