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nounnoun

ett ton

ton

Det är ett ljud med en viss höjd som man kan höra när någon sjunger eller spelar ett instrument.

Definition & meaning

The Swedish word "ton" has several meanings depending on context:

  1. Sound or musical tone: Refers to a specific pitch or sound in music — similar to "tone" or "note" in English. For example, hon sjöng en ren ton means “she sang a pure tone.”
  2. Manner or mood of speech or writing: Refers to the tone in conversation, attitude, or emotional quality — as in en vänlig ton (“a friendly tone”).
  3. Weight unit: "Ton" can also mean “tonne” (1,000 kilograms) when referring to weight or mass.

Grammar & Word origin

  • Part of speech: Noun
  • Gender: Common gender (en ton)
  • Plural form: toner (for musical or speech sense), ton (unchanged in the weight sense)
  • Origin: From Old French ton (sound, tone), which in turn comes from Latin tonus, meaning “sound” or “stretching.” The weight sense was borrowed later from English and French.

Synonyms & antonyms

  • Synonyms (musical/speech sense): klang, ljud, stämning
  • Antonyms (for speech/emotional sense): tystnad, dovhet

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Examples

Lastbilen väger tio ton.noun

The truck weighs ten tons.

Skeppet kan bära flera ton fisk.noun

The ship can carry several tons of fish.

Hur många ton kol finns i gruvan?noun

How many tons of coal are there in the mine?

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