lycka

Swedish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle Low German lucke, gelucke. According to the OED, it may be related to the source of English lock (compare Proto-Germanic *lūkaną (“to close, to shut”)).

Compare Danish and Norwegian Bokmål lykke, and Norwegian Nynorsk lukke f. Compare also English luck, German Glück, Yiddish גליק (glik), West Frisian gelok, Dutch and Afrikaans geluk, Saramaccan and Sranan Tongo koloku.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /²lʏkːa/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio; “en lycka”:

  (file)

Noun

lycka c

1. joy, happiness
2. (good) luck, (good) fortune
3. a small farm field
4. (archaic) a loop (of string)

Usage notes

The better translation of luck is usually tur. Lycka is luck more in the sense of happiness from good fortune.

Declension

Declension of lycka

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	lycka	lyckas
	definite	lyckan	lyckans
plural	indefinite	lyckor	lyckors
	definite	lyckorna	lyckornas

Related terms

• åkerlycka
• lyckas
• lycklig
• lyckohjul
• lyckonummer
• lyckosam
• misslyckas
• olycka

Etymology 2

From Old Norse lykja (preterit lukta), from Proto-Germanic *lukjaną (“to close, shut”).

Verb

lycka (present lycker, preterite lyckte, supine lyckt, imperative lyck)

1. (archaic except in "bakom lyckta dörrar") to close (a door, gate, or the like)

Conjugation

Conjugation of lycka (weak)

	active		passive
infinitive	lycka		lyckas
supine	lyckt		lyckts
imperative	lyck		—
imper. plural1	lycken		—
	present	past	present	past
indicative	lycker	lyckte	lycks, lyckes	lycktes
ind. plural1	lycka	lyckte	lyckas	lycktes
subjunctive2	lycke	lyckte	lyckes	lycktes
present participle		lyckande
past participle		lyckt

¹ Archaic. ² Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs.

See also

• bakom lyckta dörrar
• lucka
• lykt
• lykta
• tur
• öde

References

• lycka in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• lycka in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• lycka in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Lycka”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• cykla