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adverbpreposition

bakom

behind

På andra sidan av något, eller längre bort från något.

Definition & meaning

Bakom means behind. It can refer to a physical position, something hidden or underlying, or the person responsible for something.

  • Huset ligger bakom träden. — The house is behind the trees.
  • Vad ligger bakom beslutet? — What is behind the decision?
  • Hon står bakom projektet. — She is the person behind the project.

Grammar & Word origin

Bakom is mainly a preposition, followed by a noun or pronoun: bakom huset — “behind the house.” It can also be used as an adverb, without an expressed object: huset bakom — “the house behind.”

The word developed from older Swedish expressions combining the idea of “back” with a directional element.

Synonyms & antonyms

  • baktill — “at the back”; emphasizes position at the rear rather than position behind something else.
  • framför — “in front of”; the usual spatial opposite of bakom.
  • före — “before” or “ahead of”; can be an opposite when referring to order, rather than physical location.

Common phrases & collocations

  • stå bakom — to be behind, support, or be responsible for something.
  • ligga bakom — to be the underlying cause of something.
  • bakom ryggen — behind someone’s back, without their knowledge.
  • bakom kulisserna — behind the scenes.

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Examples

Huset står bakom trädet.preposition

The house stands behind the tree.

Katten sover bakom stolen.preposition

The cat is sleeping behind the chair.

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