än

Declension

Adverb

än (not comparable)

1. still, yet (of time)

   Synonyms: ännu, fortfarande

   Är du kvar än?

   Are you still here?

   Det är inte midnatt än

   It is not midnight yet

   Än så är det vinter

   It is still winter

   (literally, “Yet it is winter [song lyrics (see the quotations) – would more commonly be expressed as "Det är fortfarande / ännu vinter," though not unnatural-sounding]”)

   • 1869, “Sov du lilla vide ung (Videvisan) [Sleep, [you] little willow young (The Willow Song)]”, Zachris Topelius (lyrics), Alice Tegnér (music)‎:

     Sov, du lilla vide ung. Än så är det vinter. Än så sova [old present tense plural form, now "sover" – the present tense plural used to be identical to the infinitive for all verbs except vara] björk och ljung, ros och hyacinter. Än så är det långt till vår, innan rönn i blomma står. Sov, du lilla vide. Än så är det vinter. Solskensöga ser på dig. Solskensfamn dig vaggar. Snart blir grönt på skogens stig, och var blomma flaggar. Än [(sense 2)] en liten solskensbön: Vide liten blir så grön. Solskensöga ser dig. Solskensfamn dig vaggar.

     Sleep, ["you" – could be kept, but doesn't have the tone of "You little rascal" or the like as a vocative – see du] little willow young [poetic – putting the adjective last is equally unusual in Swedish here]. It is still winter [yet it is winter]. Yet [as in "still"] sleep birch and heather, rose and hyacinths. Spring is still a long way off [yet it is a long way to spring], before rowan is [stands] in bloom [normally "står i blom" rather than "står i blomma"]. Sleep, [you] little willow. It is still winter. Sunshine's eye watches you ["sunshine-eye watches you" – poetically terse in Swedish as well]. Sunshine's arms [see famn] rock you [like in a cradle (vagga)]. Soon the forest path will be green [soon it becomes green on the forest's path], and all the flowers fly their flags ["and each flower flags," as in puts out flags, figuratively]. Yet [(sense 2)] one little sunshine prayer [or plea]: Willow little turns so green. Sunshine's eye sees you. Sunshine's arms rock you.

3. yet (additionally)

   Synonym: ännu

   Jag vill än en gång tacka mina kollegor

   I would like to thank my colleagues once again

   (literally, “I want to yet one time thank my colleagues ["än(nu) en gång" is a common phrase]”)

4. no matter

   Hur jag än försökte kunde jag inte öppna ögonen

   No matter how I tried, I could not open my eyes ["How I yet tried ..." might provide intuition]

Conjunction

än

1. than (in comparisons)

   Han är större än du tror

   He is bigger than you think

Noun

än

1. indefinite plural of ä