UrsprungAffix of spöke (“ghost”) + -a (noun→verb). Sense 4 is a calque of English ghost (verb).
- intransitiveto engage in ghostly activity; to haunt, etc.
“Vissa tror att den döda kungen fortfarande spökar i korridorerna i sitt gamla slott” — Some believe that the dead king still haunts the halls of his old castle
“Ungarna tog på sig vita lakan och spökade för farmor” — The kids put on white sheets and played ghosts [implied – engaged in ghostly activity] for grandma
- impersonalto be ghostly activity; to be haunted, etc.
“Det spökar på slottet” — The castle is haunted
“Jag tror att det spökar härinne” — I think this place is haunted
“Det spökar som mest under spöktimmen” — Ghosts are most active during the witching hour / Ghostly activity is at its highest during the witching hour
- figuratively, intransitiveto haunt (cause recurring unease or discomfort)
“Min son kan inte sova om nätterna. Kan det vara de kommande proven som spökar?” — My son can't sleep at night. Could the upcoming tests be haunting him?
- transitiveto ghost (to leave a romantic or sexual relationship with no prior announcement)
- to play up, act up (to misbehave; to glitch)
“Min telefon spökar idag.” — My phone is playing up today.
Formerspökar(present) · spökade(preterite) · spökat(supine) · spöka(imperative) · spöka(active, infinitive) · spökas(infinitive, passive) · spökat(active, supine) · spökats(passive, supine) · spöka(active, imperative) · -(imperative, passive) · spöken(active, archaic, error-unrecognized-form) · -(archaic, error-unrecognized-form, passive) · spökar(active, indicative, present) · spökade(active, indicative, past) · spökas(indicative, passive, present) · spökades(indicative, passive, past) · spöka(active, archaic, error-unrecognized-form, present) · spökade(active, archaic, error-unrecognized-form, past) · spökas(archaic, error-unrecognized-form, passive, present) · spökades(archaic, error-unrecognized-form, passive, past)