jaga
hunt
Att följa efter ett djur för att fånga eller döda det.
Definition & meaning
Jaga is a Swedish verb meaning:
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To hunt — to pursue and try to catch or kill an animal, usually for food or sport.
- De jagar älg på hösten. — “They hunt moose in the autumn.”
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To chase or pursue — to run after a person, animal, or object in order to catch it.
- Hunden jagade katten. — “The dog chased the cat.”
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To pursue or seek persistently, often in a figurative sense.
- Hon jagar efter framgång. — “She is pursuing success.”
-
To hurry or rush, especially in the expression jaga upp sig, meaning to become stressed or agitated.
- Jaga inte upp dig. — “Don’t get worked up.”
Grammar & Word origin
Jaga is a regular Swedish verb.
- Infinitive: jaga — to hunt, chase
- Present: jagar — hunts, is hunting
- Past: jagade — hunted, chased
- Supine: jagat — hunted, chased
- Imperative: jaga — hunt!, chase!
It can be used both transitively and with a preposition:
- jaga någon — to chase someone
- jaga ett djur — to hunt an animal
- jaga efter något — to pursue or search for something
The verb is related to older Germanic words, including German jagen and English yag in historical usage. It is a simple verb rather than a modern compound.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms
- förfölja — to pursue or persecute; usually emphasizes following someone persistently, often with a threatening meaning.
- bedriva jakt — to conduct a hunt; more formal and specifically connected with hunting animals.
- jaga efter — to chase after or pursue; often used figuratively, such as pursuing an opportunity.
- söka — to seek or search for; less forceful than jaga and does not necessarily involve pursuit.
Antonyms
There is no single exact antonym for all meanings of jaga. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:
- fly — to flee or run away from someone who is chasing you.
- undvika — to avoid; the opposite of actively pursuing something.
- släppa — to let go or stop pursuing someone or something.
- skydda — to protect, which can contrast with hunting or attacking an animal.
Common phrases & collocations
- jaga någon — to chase someone
- jaga ett djur — to hunt an animal
- jaga efter något — to pursue or seek something
- jaga ikapp — to chase and catch up with someone or something
- jaga bort — to chase away
- jaga upp sig — to become agitated or stressed
- vara på jakt efter — to be looking or searching for something
- jaga drömmar — to pursue dreams
- jaga pengar — to pursue money or seek financial gain
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Examples
De gillar att jaga i skogen.verb
They like to hunt in the forest.
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