Some Basic Phrases

1. Some Basic Phrases God morgon Good Morning Hej / Goddag Hello / Good Day God kväll Good Evening God natt Good Night Hej då / Adjö (more formal) Goodbye Snälla Please Tack (så mycket) Thank you (very much) Ingen orsak / Varsågod Don't mention it / You're welcome Ja / Nej Yes / No Herr / Fru / Fröken Mister / Misses / Miss Hur är det? / Hur har du det? How are you? Hur mår du? How are you? (How are you feeling?) Bra Good / Fine Inte så bra. Not so good Vad heter du? What's your name? Vad är ditt namn? What's your name? Jag heter... I am called... Mitt namn är... My name is... Trevligt att träffas! Pleased to meet you! Välkommen! Welcome! Varifrån kommer du? Where are you from? Jag kommer från... I'm from... Var bor du? Where do you live? Jag bor i... I live in... Hur gammal är du? How old are you? Jag är ___ år (gammal). I am ____ years old. Talar du svenska? Do you speak Swedish? Jag talar engelska. I speak English. danska, norska, franska, italienska, spanska, tyska, holländska, ryska, japanska Danish, Norwegian, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Russian, Japanese Ja, lite grann. Yes, a little bit. Nej, inte alls. No, not at all. Jag förstår [inte.] I [don't] understand. Jag vet [inte.] I [don't] know. Ursäkta / Förlåt Excuse me / Pardon me Ha det så bra! Take care! Vi ses senare / snart See you later / soon Hej / Hej då Hi / Bye Jag älskar dig. I love you. Jag saknar dig. I miss you. 2. Pronunciation Swedish letter(s) English sound ch sh ck k g g before a, o, u, å, or unstressed e g j before e, i, y, ä, ö and after l or r g k before t gj j k soft ch sound, before e, i, y, ä, ö q k sch sh ti(on) sh tj soft ch sound v, w v x ks z s 3. Alphabet a ah k kaw u ooh b bay l el v vay c say m em x eks d day n en y ew e ay o oh z say-tah f ef p pay å aw (with lips rounded) g gay q koo ä eh (as in bed) h haw r air ö er (with lips rounded) i ee s ess   j yee t tay 4. Nouns and Cases Nouns in Swedish have two genders, common and neuter, which adjectives must agree with when modifying nouns. These genders are signified by the indefinite articles: en and ett. In the vocabulary lists, a noun followed by (n) means that it is a neuter noun and it takes the indefinite article ett. The majority of nouns in Swedish are common gender, so they take the indefinite article en. The only case of nouns that is used in Swedish is the genitive (showing possession), and it is easily formed by adding an -s to the noun. This is comparable to adding -'s in English to show possession. However, if the noun already ends in -s, then you add nothing (unlike English where we add -' or -'s). Anders bok = Anders's book 5. Articles and Demonstratives There are two indefinite articles (corresponding to a and an) in Swedish: en and ett. En is used with most of the nouns (words denoting people almost always use en), but you will just have to learn which article goes with which noun. The definite article (the) is not a separate word like in most other languages. It is simply a form of the indefinite article attached to the end of the noun. Note that en words ending in a vowel retain that vowel and add an -n instead of adding -en. And ett words ending in -e just add a -t. En words (common) Ett words (neuter) Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite en banan a banana bananen the banana ett bord a table bordet the table en stol a chair stolen the chair ett kök a kitchen köket the kitchen en gata a street gatan the street ett äpple an apple äpplet the apple This, that, these and those are expressed in Swedish by using den, det or de plus the word här (here) and där (there). The noun is always in the definite form after these demonstratives. And if any adjectives follow the demonstrative, they must add an -a to the ending. with en words with ett words with plural words this / these den här biljetten - this ticket det här tåget - this train de här biljetterna - these tickets that / those den där biljetten - that ticket det där tåget - that train de där tågen - those trains 6. Subject & Object Pronouns Subject & Object Pronouns jag yah I mig (mej) meh me du doo you (singular) dig (dej) deh you han hahn he honom ho-nohm him hon hohn she henne heh-neh her den den it (with en words) den den it det deh it (with ett words) det deh it man mahn one en en one vi vee we oss ohss us ni nee you (plural) er ehr you de (dom) dahm they dem (dom) dahm them Note:  Man can be translated as one, we, they or the people in general.  When referring to nouns as it, you use den for en nouns, and det for ett nouns. Formerly, du was the informal you and ni was the formal, but these distinctions are rarely used anymore. The forms in parentheses are the informal ways of spelling these words, which is closer to the actual pronunciation. 7. To Be and to Have The present and past tenses of verbs in Swedish are very simple to conjugate. All the forms are the same for each personal pronoun. The infinitive of the verb to be in Swedish is vara, and the conjugated present tense form is är and the past tense is var. The infinitive of the verb to have is ha, and the conjugated present tense form is har and the past tense is hade. vara - to be ha - to have I am jag är I was jag var I have jag har I had jag hade you are du är you were du var you have du har you had du hade he is han är he was han var he has han har he had han hade she is hon är she was hon var she has hon har she had hon hade it is den är it was den var it has den har it had den hade it is det är it was det var it has det har it had det hade one is man är one was man var one has man har one had man hade we are vi är we were vi var we have vi har we had vi hade you are ni är you were ni var you have ni har you had ni hade they are de är they were de var they have de har they had de hade To form the future tense of verbs, just add ska before the infinitive. Jag ska vara = I will be; hon ska ha = she will have; etc. 8. Useful Words sometimes ibland already redan always alltid perhaps kanske never aldrig both båda often ofta some någon, något, några usually oftast again igen, åter now nu between mellan and och a lot, many många but men of course naturligtvis or eller a little litegrann very mycket / väldigt not at all inte alls here här almost nästan there där really? verkligen with med it is det är each other varandra there is/are det finns 9. Question Words Who vem Whose vems What vad Which vilken, vilket, vilka Why varför Where to vart When när Where from varifrån Where var How hur Which has three different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun that follows it. Vilken is used with en words, vilket is used with ett words and vilka is used with plural words. 10. Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers 0 noll   1 en, ett 1st första 2 två 2nd andra 3 tre 3rd tredje 4 fyra 4th fjärde 5 fem 5th femte 6 sex 6th sjätte 7 sju 7th sjunde 8 åtta 8th åttonde 9 nio 9th nionde 10 tio 10th tionde 11 elva 11th elfte 12 tolv 12th tolfte 13 tretton 13th trettonde 14 fjorton 14th fjortonde 15 femton 15th femtonde 16 sexton 16th sextonde 17 sjutton 17th sjuttonde 18 arton 18th artonde 19 nitton 19th nittonde 20 tjugo 20th tjugonde 21 tjugoen, tjugoett 21st tjugoförsta 22 tjugotvå 22nd tjugoandra 30 trettio 30th trettionde 40 fyrtio 40th fyrtionde 50 femtio 50th femtionde 60 sextio 60th sextionde 70 sjuttio 70th sjuttionde 80 åttio 80th åttionde 90 nittio 90th nittionde 100 hundra 100th hundrade 1,000 tusen 1,000th tusende million en miljon   billion en miljard   trillion en biljon   11. Days of the Week / Veckans dagar Monday måndag Tuesday tisdag Wednesday onsdag Thursday torsdag Friday fredag Saturday lördag Sunday söndag day dag morning morgon afternoon eftermiddag evening afton (before 6 pm) / kväll night natt today idag tomorrow imorgon day after tomorrow i övermorgon tonight ikväll yesterday igår day before yesterday i förrgår last night igår natt week vecka weekend helg daily daglig weekly veckolig Note: To say "on" a certain day, use på before the day. 12. Months of the Year / Årets månader January januari February februari March mars April april May maj June juni July juli August augusti September september October oktober November november December december month månad year år monthly månatlig or var/varje månad yearly årlig Note: To say "in" a certain month, use i before the month. 13. Seasons Winter vinter in (the) winter på vintern Spring vår in (the) spring på våren Summer sommar in (the) summer på sommaren Fall höst in (the) fall på hösten Note: You can also use i before the names of the months to express this: i vinter = this winter 14. Directions North norr Northeast nordost South söder Northwest nordväst East öster Southeast sydost West väster Southwest sydväst 15. Colors orange orange, orangea pink rosa / skär, skärt, skära purple lila blue blå, blått, blåa yellow gul, gult, gula red röd, rött, röda black svart, svart, svarta brown brun, brunt, bruna gray grå, grått, gråa white vit, vitt, vita green grön, grönt, gröna Note: Since colors are adjectives, most of them decline according to which noun they describe. The first word is used with en words, the second with ett words and the third with plural words. Some words remain the same for all three. 16. Time / Tid What time is it? Vad är klockan? (It is) 2 AM Klockan är två på natten 2 PM 14.00 (but said as två) 6:20 tjugo över sex half past 3 halv fyra quarter past 4 kvart över fyra quarter to 5 kvart i fem 10 past 11 tio över elva 20 to 7 tjugo i sju noon mitt på dagen midnight midnatt in the morning på morgonen in the evening på kvällen It's exactly... den är precis About/around 8. omkring åtta At 8. klockan åtta early tidigt late(r) sent (senare) 17. Weather / Väder How's the weather today? Vad är det för väder idag? It's cold det är kallt beautiful vackert / fint hot jättevarmt clear klart icy isigt warm varmt windy blåsigt cloudy molnigt hazy disigt muggy rått humid fuktigt foggy dimmigt It's snowing det snöar It's raining det regnar It's freezing det är kallt/kyligt 18. Family / Familj Parents föräldrar Mother mamma / mor / moder Father pappa / far / fader Son son Daughter dotter Brother bror Sister syster Grandfather farfar (father's father) / morfar (mother's father) Grandmother farmor (father's mother) / mormor (mother's mother) Grandson sonson (son's son) / dotterson (daughter's son) Granddaughter   sondotter (son's daughter) / dotterdotter (daughter's daughter) Niece brorsdotter (brother's daughter) / systerdotter (sister's daughter) Nephew brorson (brother's son) / systerson (sister's son) Cousin kusin Uncle farbror (father's brother) / morbror (mother's brother) Aunt faster (father's sister) / moster (mother's sister) Boy pojke Girl flicka Child / Baby barn / baby / bebis / spädbarn Adult vuxen (n) Man man Woman kvinna Friend (m) vän Friend (f) väninna 19. To Know People and Facts känna - to know people veta - to know facts present känner vet past kände visste future ska känna ska veta 20. Formation of Plural Nouns An en word takes one of the following endings when it is pluralized: or, ar, er. An ett word takes an n or no ending at all. Indefinite Plural En words that end in -a drop -a and add -or en klocka - klockor a watch - (some) watches En words that end in -e drop -e and add -ar en pojke - pojkar a boy - (some) boys En words with stress on last vowel add -er en kamrat - kamrater a friend - (some) friends Ett words that end in a vowel add -n ett ställe - ställen a place - (some) places Ett words that end in a consonant no ending ett rum - rum a room - (some) rooms To form the definite plural, you must first form the indefinite plural and then add these endings to that word. Indef. Plural En words add -na klockor - klockorna (some) watches - the watches Indef. Plural Ett words that end in a vowel add -a ställen - ställena (some) places - the places Indef. Plural Ett words that end in a consonant add -en rum - rummen (some) rooms - the rooms There are some nouns that change their vowel in the plural. These nouns usually take the -er ending when forming the indefinite plural. en natt - nätter a night - nights en bonde - bönder a farmer - farmers en stad - städer a town - towns en ledamot - ledamöter a member - members en hand - händer a hand - hands en fot - fötter a foot - feet en tand - tänder a tooth - teeth en rot - rötter a root - roots en strand - stränder a beach - beaches en bok - böcker a book - books en rand - ränder a stripe - stripes en man - män a man - men ett land - länder a country - countries mannen - männen the man - the men 21. Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns with en words with ett words with plural words my / mine min mitt mina your / yours din ditt dina his / her / its / their sin sitt sina his / his hans hans hans her / hers hennes hennes hennes its / its dess dess dess our / ours vår vårt våra your / yours er ert era their / theirs deras deras deras The same forms are used for possessive adjectives that are used directly before nouns and for possessive pronouns that replace a noun. For example, this is my car and this is mine would be translated as det här är min bil and det här är min. Sin, sitt and sina can only be used when the third person possessive adjective refers to the subject of the same clause. These words can be translated as his, her, its or their. Generally, if you cannot insert "own" after the possessive adjective in English, you cannot use sin/sitt/sina. Per besöker sin mamma. = Per visits his (own) mother. (Sin refers back to Per.) Eva ringer hans mamma. = Eva calls his mother. (Hans refers to Per, not Eva.) 22. To Do/Make and To Become göra - to do/make bli - to become present gör blir past gjorde blev future ska göra ska bli 23. Work and School actor skådespelare judge domare actress skådespelerska lawyer advokat author författare mechanic mekaniker, montör baker bagare musician musiker baker's shop bageri nurse sjuksköterska bookseller bokhandlare official ämbetsman bookshop bokaffär optician (eye doctor) optiker businessman affärsman painter målare butcher slaktare photographer fotograf pharmacist farmaceut policeman polis (n) pharmacy apotek (n) postman brevbärare cook kock, kokerska priest präst customer kund publisher förläggare dentist tandläkare scientist vetenskapsman doctor läkare, doktor shoemaker skomakare employee anställd, arbetstagare shop, store butik engineer ingenjör singer sångare, sångerska fisherman fiskare student student gardener trädgårdsmästare surgeon kirurg hairdresser hårfrisör tailor skräddare jeweler juvelerare teacher lärare journalist journalist workman arbetare 24. Prepositions vid by, at, next to av of, by, with i in bakom behind på on, in, at bland among hos at the house of bredvid beside till to efter after, for från from enligt according to genom through, by framför in front of längs along för for, by, with över across, over omkring around mot towards, to med with, by mellan between under under, below om around, about, in utan without sedan since utom except for trots in spite of åt towards, for Vid is used to express a position next to something, but with no contact. I is used to express a position in something that is seen to have volume (room, containers, etc.); and it is also used with countries, cities, villages, etc. På is used to express a position on something that is seen as a line or surface with contact; and it is also used with islands, addresses, and particular places, such as bank, post office, cinema, hospital, library, etc. Three exceptions to using på with particular places include school, work, and the shop: i skolan, i affären, i kyrkan. 25. Countries and Nationalities   Country Noun Adjective Africa / African Afrika afrikan afrikansk America / American Amerika amerikan amerikansk Argentina / Argentinan Argentina argentinare argentinsk Asia / Asian Asien asiat asiatisk Australia / Australian Australien australiensare australiensk Austria / Austrian Österrike österrikare österrikisk Belgium / Belgian Belgien belgare belgisk Brazil / Brazilian Brasilien brasilianare brasiliansk Canada / Canadian Kanada kanadensare kanadensisk China / Chinese Kina kines kinesisk Denmark / Dane Danmark dansk dansk Egypt / Egyptian Egypten egyptier egyptisk England / English England engelsman engelsk Europe / European Europa europé europeisk Finland / Finnish Finland finländare / finne finsk France / French Frankrike fransman fransk Germany / German Tyskland tysk tysk Great Britain / British Storbritannien britt brittisk Greece / Greek Grekland grek grekisk Netherlands / Dutch Holland holländare holländsk Hungary / Hungarian Ungern ungrare ungersk Ireland / Irish Irland irländare irländsk Italy / Italian Italien italienare italiensk Japan / Japanese Japan japan japansk Norway / Norwegian Norge norrman norsk Poland / Polish Polen polack polsk Portugal / Portuguese Portugal portugis portugisisk Russia / Russian Ryssland ryss rysk Scotland / Scottish Skottland skotte skotsk Spain / Spanish Spanien spanjor spansk Sweden / Swedish Sverige svensk svensk Switzerland / Swiss Schweiz schweizare schweizisk Turkey / Turkish Turkiet turk turkisk United States U.S.A. amerikan   For languages, you generally add -a to the adjective: svenska is Swedish and engelska is English, etc. 26. Negative Sentences To make a sentence negative in Swedish, simply add inte after the verb. If there is an auxiliary verb and a main verb, inte goes between the two. In addition, if you answer "yes" to a negative question, you must use jo instead of ja. 27. Short Answers A yes/no question can be answered with a short phrase, just as in English. The verb göra (to do/make) is used with the pronoun det and the subject of the question. Some verbs are not replaced by göra and are repeated in the short answer, such as vara and ha. This is very similar to English, except for the word order. Positive Short Answer: Ja + det + Verb + Subject Negative Short Answer: Nej + det + Verb + Subject + inte Arbetar hon här? Does she work here? Ja, det gör hon. Yes, she does. Nej, det gör hon inte. No, she doesn't. Är de glada? Are they happy? Ja, det är de. Yes, they are. Nej, det är de inte. No, they are not. 28. To Come and To Go komma - to come gå - to go present kommer går past kom gick future ska komma ska gå 29. Common Auxiliary Verbs kunna - to be able to, can vilja - to want to få - to be allowed to --- have to, must present kan vill får måste past kunde ville fick --- Just as in English, there is no past form of must / måste. You can either use var tvungen or behövde instead, as in jag var tvungen att ... = I had to...   skola - supposed to, will, should böra- should, ought to bruka - usually, used to behöva - need to present ska bör brukar behöver past skulle borde brukade behövde Vi kan tala engelska. We can speak English. Han kunde inte spela. He could not play. Sven vill sova. Sven wants to sleep. Hon vill ha kaffe. She wants coffee. (When vilja is followed by a noun, ha is added before the noun.) Du får röka. You may smoke. De måste gå hem nu. They must go home now. Du får inte röka. You must not smoke. (Must not is translated with får inte rather than måste inte, which means don't have to.) Jag brukar dricka kaffe efter lunch. I usually drink coffee after lunch. (Brukar in the present tense means usually + main verb.) 30. Conjugating Regular Verbs (Present and Past Tenses) Infinitives in Swedish end in -a. When conjugating verbs, the same form is used for all subject pronouns, whether singular or plural. To form the present tense of verbs, either add -r to the infinitive or remove the -a and add -er. tala - to speak (-ar verb) & stänga - to close (-er verb) Present Tense Past Tense Present Tense Past Tense jag talar I speak jag talade I spoke jag stänger I close jag stängde I closed du talar you speak du talade you spoke du stänger you close du stängde you closed han talar he speaks han talade he spoke han stänger he closes han stängde he closed hon talar she speaks hon talade she spoke hon stänger she closes hon stängde she closed vi talar we speak vi talade we spoke vi stänger we close vi stängde we closed ni talar you speak ni talade you spoke ni stänger you close ni stängde you closed de talar they speak de talade they spoke de stänger they close de stängde they closed Please note the three present tenses in English (simple, progressive and emphatic) are all translated by one verb form in Swedish. Jag talar can mean I speak, I am speaking or I do speak. Four Past Tense Conjugations To form the past tense, most verbs add -de to the present tense form of -ar verbs and to the stem of -er verbs (infinitive minus -a). But if the stem ends in a voiceless consonant (k, p, t, or s), then add -te instead. Another group of verbs, short verbs ending in a vowel, add -dde to form the past tense. (See 34. Irregular Verbs below for a longer list as many of these verbs have irregular forms in other tenses.)   Infinitive Present Past Infinitive of -ar verbs; add -de arbeta to work arbetar arbetade fråga to ask frågar frågade öppna to open öppnar öppnade tala to speak talar talade Stem of -er verbs; add -de ringa to ring ringer ringde stänga to close stänger stängde följa to follow följer följde bygga to build bygger byggde Stem ends in k, p, t, or s; add -te tänka to think tänker tänkte röka to smoke röker rökte läsa to read läser läste köpa to buy köper köpte Infinitive ends in long vowel; add -dde tro to believe tror trodde bo to live, dwell bor bodde 31. Reflexive Verbs Some verbs in Swedish are reflexive verbs, in that the action by the subject is performed by itself. This is comparable to the -self or -selves pronouns used in English with some verbs, such as he behaves himself. Most of the time, verbs that are reflexive in Swedish are not reflexive in English. To conjugate these verbs, simply add these pronouns after the verb: mig (mej) myself oss ourselves dig (dej) yourself er yourselves sig (sej) himself/herself/itself sig (sej) theirselves The forms in parentheses are used in colloquial (spoken and written) Swedish. In fact, mig, dig and sig are pronounced as if they were written mej, dej and sej. 32. Commands Verbs that end in -ar in the present tense simply remove the -r to form the command (imperative). Verbs that end in -er in the present tense remove the -er to form the command. You cannot form the imperative if you only know the infinitive and not if the verb takes -ar or -er in the present tense. But if you do know that an infinitive is an -ar verb, you leave the -a in the imperative, and if the infinitive is an -er verb, you remove the -a. Present Tense Imperative Translation öppnar öppna! open! väntar vänta! wait! skriver skriv! write! läser läs! read! 33. Present and Past Perfect The present and past perfect tenses consist of two parts: har / hade and the supine form of the main verb. This is a compound tense that corresponds to has/have / had and a past participle in English. The main difference between Swedish and English in this tense, however, is that Swedish uses the supine form of the verb instead of the past participle. To form the supine, -ar verbs add -t to the infinitive; while -er verbs replace -a with -t in the infinitive. Infinitives ending in long vowels add -tt to form the supine. Infinitive Present Past Supine arbeta to work arbetar arbetade arbetat fråga to ask frågar frågade frågat öppna to open öppnar öppnade öppnat tala to speak talar talade talat ringa to ring ringer ringde ringt stänga to close stänger stängde stängt följa to follow följer följde följt bygga to build bygger byggde byggt tänka to think tänker tänkte tänkt röka to smoke röker rökte rökt läsa to read läser läste läst köpa to buy köper köpte köpt tro to believe tror trodde trott bo to live, dwell bor bodde bott Jag har läst boken. I have read the book. Hon hade öppnat dörren. She had opened the door. 34. Irregular Verbs Several verbs in Swedish are considered irregular because they do not follow the rules for the different conjugations. These forms need to be memorized since these verbs are very common. Infinitive Imperative Present Past Supine Translation vara var är var varit be ha ha har hade haft have komma kom kommer kom kommit come göra gör gör gjorde gjort do, make ta ta, tag tar tog tagit take säga säg säger sa, sade sagt say veta vet vet visste vetat know låta låt låter lät låtit let hålla håll håller höll hållit hold heta het heter hette hetat be called åka åk åker åkte åkt go resa res reser reste rest travel bära bär bär bar burit carry dra dra, drag drar drog dragit pull, drag ligga ligg ligger låg legat lie (down) lägga lägg lägger la, lade lagt put sätta sätt sätter satte satt put slå slå slår slog slagit hit falla fall faller föll fallit fall äta ät äter åt ätit eat sova sov sover sov sovit sleep stjäla stjäl stjäler stal stulit steal gråta gråt gråter grät gråtit cry sälja sälj säljer sålde sålt sell välja välj väljer valde valt choose vänja vänj vänjer vande vant accustom svälja svälj sväljer svalde svalt swallow skilja skilj skiljer skilde skilt separate Some -er verbs (and never -ar verbs) have irregular simple past and supine forms. Sometimes these involve a vowel change and lack of ending. Infinitive Past Supine Translations binda band bundit to bind / bound / bound brinna brann brunnit to burn / burned / burned dricka drack druckit to drink / drank / drunk finna fann funnit to find / found / found försvinna försvann försvunnit to disappear / disappeared / disappeared hinna hann hunnit to manage / managed / managed rinna rann runnit to run, flow / ran, flowed / run, flowed sitta satt suttit to sit / sat / sat slippa slapp sluppit to get out of / got out of / gotten out of spricka sprack spruckit to split / split / split springa sprang sprungit to run / ran / run sticka stack stuckit to stick / stuck / stuck vinna vann vunnit to win / won / won bita bet bitit to bite / bit / bitten gripa grep gripit to grip / gripped / gripped lida led lidit to suffer / suffered / suffered rida red ridit to ride / rode / ridden skina sken skinit to shine / shone / shone skriva skrev skrivit to write / wrote / written slita slet slitit to wear out / wore out / worn out stiga steg stigit to rise / rose / risen tiga teg tigit to be silent / was silent / been silent vrid vred vridit to turn / turned / turned bjuda bjöd bjudit to invite / invited / invited ljuga ljög ljugit to lie / lied / lied (to tell a lie) sjunga sjöng sjungit to sing / sang / sung skjuta sköt skjutit to shoot / shot / shot bryta bröt brutit to break / broke / broken flyga flög flugit to fly / flew / flown flyta flöt flutit to float / floated / floated frysa frös frusit to freeze / froze / frozen knyta knöt knutit to tie up / tied up / tied up krypa kröp krupit to crawl / crawled / crawled A few infinitives in Swedish do not end in -a. These are short verbs and they end in a long, stressed vowel. The infinitive is the same as the imperative, and the present tense is formed by adding -r. The past tense if formed by adding -dde to the infinitive, and the supine is formed by adding -tt to the infinitive. However, a few of the short verbs have an irregular form in the past. Infinitive / Imperative Present Tense Past Tense Supine Translation Short verbs with a regular past: tro tror trodde trott believe, think ske sker skedde skett happen nå når nådde nått reach bo bor bodde bott live (dwell) må mår mådde mått feel (of health) klä klär klädde klätt dress Short verbs with an irregular past: få får fick fått get, receive gå går gick gått go, walk ge ger gav gett give se ser såg sett see dö dör dog dött die stå står stod stått stand be ber bad bett ask, pray 35. Food and Meals bacon bacon / fläsk (n) salad sallad beef nötkött (n) salt salt (n) beer öl (n) sandwich smörgås beverage dryck sauce sås biscuit kaka sausage korv bread bröd soup soppa breakfast frukost stew gryta butter smör (n) sugar socker (n) cake kaka / tårta supper middag cheese ost tea te (n) chicken kyckling veal kalvkött (n) chop hacka vegetables grönsaker coffee kaffe vinegar ättika / vinäger cream grädde wine vin (n) dessert dessert basin skål dinner middag bottle flaska egg ägg (n) can opener konservöppnare fried egg stekta ägg coffee pot kaffekanna soft-boiled egg kokta ägg colander durkslag fat fett (n) corkscrew korkskruv flour mjöl (n) cup kopp ham skinka dish fat (n) honey honung fork gaffel jam sylt (n) frying pan stekpanna lunch lunch glass glas (n) meal måltid jug kruka meat kött (n) kettle kittel milk mjölk knife kniv mustard senap lid lock (n) mutton fårkött (n) napkin servett oil olja plate tallrik omelet omelett saucer tefat (n) pepper peppar saucepan kastrull pork fläsk (n) spoon sked toast rosta tablecloth duk roll bulle teapot tekanna 36. Fruits and Vegetables almond mandel strawberry jordgubbe apple äpple (n) tree träd (n) apple tree äppelträd (n) tree trunk stam apricot aprikos vine vinstock ash ask walnut valnöt bark bark willow pil beech bok artichoke kronärtskocka berry bär (n) asparagus sparris birch björk barley korn (n) blackberry björnbär (n) bean (broad) böna branch gren bean (kidney) kidneyböna cherry körsbär (n) brussel sprouts brysselkål cherry tree körsbärsträd cabbage kål chestnut kastanj carrot morot chestnut tree kastanjeträd cauliflower blomkål currant vinbär (n) celery selleri cypress cypress corn majs date dadel cucumber gurka elm alm eggplant aubergine fig fikon (n) garlic vitlök fir gran herb ört fruit frukt horse-radish pepparrot grapes vindruvor lentil lins hazelnut hasselnöt lettuce sallad kernel kärna maize majs laurel lagerträd mint mynta leaf blad (n) mushroom svamp lemon citron oats havre lime tree lind onion lök melon melon parsley persilja oak ek pea ärta olive oliv potato potatis olive tree olivträd pumpkin pumpa orange apelsin radish rädisa orange tree apelsinträd rice ris (n) peach persika rye råg pear päron (pl) sage salvia pear tree päronträd seed frö pine tall spinach spenat pineapple ananas stalk stjälk plum plommon (n) tomato tomat poplar poppel turnip rova raspberry hallon (n) wheat vete (n) root rot     37. Conjunctions Coordinating Conjunctions och and eller or men but för because, for så so som as antingen...eller either...or varken...eller neither...nor Subordinating Conjunctions att that då when eftersom because, as för att in order to, so that därför att because innan / förrän before medan while när when om if, whether (interrogation) fast even if, although sedan since, as nu då now that   38. Word Order In general, the word order of Swedish is the same as English: Subject + Verb + Object. However, the word order is slightly different from English when something other than the subject of the verb begins the sentence. In declarative sentences, the main verb is always in the second position (but not necessarily the second word!). For example, if a sentence begins with an adverb or an object, the verb will be the second element in the sentence, and the subject will come after the verb. Then any other forms of verbs (such as participles or infinitives) will come after the subject. Adverb or Object Main Verb Subject (Participle / Infinitive) Translation I morgon åker jag till Sverige. I'm going to Sweden tomorrow. I affären köper jag ett bröd. I buy bread in the store. In sentences that begin with a subordinate clause, the second (independent) clause will have inversion of the verb and subject. The subordinate clause is the first element in the sentence, so the verb must be second, and the subject is third. Subordinate Clause Main Verb Subject Rest of Sentence Translation När jag var ung, bodde jag i Sverige. When I was young, I lived in Sweden. Nu då hon har kommit kan vi börja. Now that she's arrived we can begin. Furthermore, adverbs that modify the entire sentence come before the verb in subordinate clauses, whereas they normally occur after the verb in regular sentences. Besides inte (not), these adverbs include: aldrig (never), alltid (always), alltså (so, then), möjligtvis (maybe), gärna (gladly, with pleasure), bara (only) and säkert (surely). Han säger att han inte kan åka bil till Stockholm. He said that he cannot come to Stockholm by car. 39. Asking Questions Yes/No questions: Invert the subject and verb so that the verb begins the question. Arbetar han? Does he work? Regnar det? Is it raining? Question Words: The question word begins the question, and the verb comes next, followed by the subject. Var bor Sten? Where does Sten live? Vad gör Elsa? What does Elsa do? 40. Holiday Phrases God Jul! Merry Christmas! Gott Nytt År! Happy New Year! Glad Påsk! Happy Easter! Grattis på födelsedagen! Happy Birthday! The Swedish National Anthem: Du gamla, du fria, du fjällhöga Nord, Du tysta, du glädjerika sköna! Jag hälsar dig, vänaste land uppå jord, Din sol, din himmel, dina ängder gröna. Din sol, din himmel, dina ängder gröna. Du tronar på minnen från fornstora da'r, då ärat ditt namn flög över jorden. Jag vet att du är och du blir, vad du var. Ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden. Ja, jag vill leva, jag vill dö i Norden. You ancient, free and mountainous North, Of quiet, joyful beauty, I greet you, loveliest land on earth, Your sun, your sky, your green meadows. Your sun, your sky, your green meadows. You are throned on memories of olden days When the honour of your name spread over the earth. I know that you are and will remain what you were. Oh, may I live, may die in the Nordic North! Oh, may I live, may die in the Nordic North! 41. Places airport flygplats embassy ambassad port hamn bakery bageri factory fabrik prison fängelse (n) bank bank farm bondgård restaurant restaurang bar bar fountain fontän/brunn road/street gata barn lada garage garage school skola barracks kasern hospital sjukhus (n) sidewalk trottoar bench bänk hotel hotell square torg (n) bookstore bokhandel house hus (n) stable stall bridge bro hut hydda stadium stadion building byggnad inn värdshus (n) store affär castle slott (n) library bibliotek (n) suburb förstad cathedral katedral market marknad theater teater cemetery kyrkogård monument minnesvård tower torn (n) church kyrka museum museum town stad cinema biograf palace palats town hall rådhus (n) consulate konsulat (n) path stig train station järnvägsstation corner hörn pharmacy apotek university universitet (n) courtyard gård police station polisstation village by 42. Transportation airplane flygplan bicycle cykel boat båt bus buss car bil moped moped motorcycle motorcykel ship skepp streetcar spårvagn train tåg truck lastbil 43. Adjectives Adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe. In Swedish, adjectives are placed directly before the noun, as in English. There are two types of adjectives: strong and weak. Strong adjectives are used after the indefinite article and the words någon (a, some, any), ingen (no), en annan (another), vilken (what a), and all (all); as well as after the verbs to be and to become (vara and bli). Weak adjectives are used with the definite article, demonstratives, possessive adjectives or a possessive noun. Strong (Indefinite): The basic rule for strong adjectives is to add -t for neuter nouns and -a for plural nouns. There is no ending for adjectives that modify common nouns.   common neuter plural basic rule en fin bil a beautiful car ett fint hus a beautiful house fina bilar beautiful cars ending in vowel + d god gott goda ending in consonant + d ond ont onda ending long vowel blå blått blåa ending in -er or -el vacker vackert vackra ending in -en egen eget egna gammal is irregular gammal gammalt gamla liten is irregular liten litet små Weak (Definite): The basic rule for weak adjectives is to add -a for all nouns. Note that the noun has the definite article attached to the end and the words den, det or de preceding the adjective. The adjective liten is completely irregular in the singular and plural. With adjectives follow possessives or demonstratives, the definite article is not attached to the end of the noun.   common neuter plural basic rule den fina bilen the beautiful car det fina huset the beautiful house de fina bilarna the beautiful cars liten is irregular den lilla bilen the small car det lilla huset the small house de små bilarna the small cars Some common adjectives cannot be declined and they remain the same in all forms: bra (good), extra (extra), gratis (free). 44. Comparative & Superlative Forming the comparative and superlative of adjectives in Swedish is very similar to English. Most adjectives add -are to the adjective for the comparative and -ast(e) for the superlative. Some adjectives add nothing to the adjective, but use mer or mest (more or most) before the adjective.   comparative superlative strong adjectives -are -ast weak adjectives -are -aste many syllables mer mest Irregular Comparative and Superlative Forms good - better - best god bättre bäst good - better - best (food) god godare godast bad - worse - worst dålig värre värst bad - less good - least good dålig sämre sämst small - smaller - smallest liten mindre minst many - more - most många fler flest much - more - most mycket mer mest old - older - oldest gammal äldre äldst Note: Godare and godast usually only refer to food. Fler / flest are used with count nouns, while mer / mest are used with non-count nouns. Comparing two or more adjectives: To express egality (as... as), use så...som. To express superiority (-er or more... than), use -are or mer and än (than.) To express the superlative (-est or the most), use -ast or mest. 45. House & Furniture alarm clock väckarklocka desk bord refrigerator kylskåp armchair länstol door dörr roof tak (n) attic vindsvåning doorbell ringklocka room rum (n) balcony balkong drawer låda rug matta basement källare fence staket sheet lakan (n) basket korg fireplace eldstad shelf hylla bathroom badrum floor golv (n) shower dusch bathtub bad floor / storey våning sink diskbänk bed säng furniture möbler (pl.) sofa soffa bedroom sovrum (n) garden trädgård stairs trappa blanket filt ground floor nedersta våning stove spis blinds rullgardin house hus (n) table bord (n) bookcase bokhylla iron (flat) strykjärn (n) tap (faucet) kran box kista key nyckel telephone telefon broom kvast kitchen kök (n) television television carpet matta lamp lampa toaster brödrost ceiling tak (n) lawn gräsmatta toilet (WC) toalett chair stol light bulb glödlampa towel handduk chimney skorsten lock lås (n) vacuum cleaner dammsugare clock klocka mattress madrass vase vas closet garderob mirror spegel wall mur computer dator oven ugn wall (room) vägg corner hörn (n) pantry skafferi (n) window fönster (n) cupboard skåp (n) picture tavla yard gård curtain gardin pillow huvudkudde     cushion kudde pipe (water) rör (n)     46. Clothing apron förkläde glasses glasögon shorts shorts bathrobe badkappa glove handske silk silke (n) belt skärp handbag handväska skirt kjol blouse blus handkerchief näsduk sleeve ärm boot känga hat hatt slippers toffel bra behå jacket jacka soap tvål bracelet armband necklace halsband sock sockor brush hårborste needle nål stocking trumpa buckle spänne nightgown nattlinne suit kostym button knapp overcoat överrock sunglasses solglasögon cap mössa pants byxor suspenders hängslen clothes kläder pin knappnål sweater tröja coat jacka pocket ficka swimsuit badkläder collar krage purse börs thread tråd comb kam raincoat regnrock tie slips contact lens kontaktlins ring ring T-shirt T-shirt cotton bomull scarf scarf / halsduk umbrella paraply dress klänning shirt skjorta waistcoat väst earrings örhängen shoe skor watch klocka fashion mod shoelace skoband (n) wool ull 47. Future Tense One way to form the future tense in Swedish is by using the auxiliary verb ska before an infinitive. This implies intention and the involvement of someone's will or wish. As an alternative, you can use tänker before an infinitive, as long as it is the subject's wish and not someone else's. Du ska tala svenska. You are going to speak Swedish. Jag ska resa till Amerika i höst. I'm going to America in the fall. Vi tänker flyga hem. We're going to fly home. Another way is to use kommer att before an infinitive. This does not imply intention or will, as it's more of a prediction or assumption about the future. Du kommer att tycka om min vän. You'll like my friend. Alla kommer att vara här klockan 8. Everybody will be here at 8 o'clock. 48. Sports badminton badminton rugby rugby baseball baseball sailing segling basketball basket skiing skidsport bowling bowling soccer fotboll boxing boxning surfing surfing cycling cykelsport swimming simning golf golf table tennis bordtennis hockey hockey tennis tennis ice-skating konståkning volleyball volleyboll jogging joggning wrestling brottning 49. Nature air luft grass gräs (n) root rot bank strand gulf vik rose ros bay vik hail hagel (n) salt water saltvatten (n) beach strand hay hö (n) sand sand branch gren high tide flod sea hav (n) bud knopp hill kulle shadow skugga bush buske ice is sky himmel cape kap island ö snow snö cave grotta isthmus landtunga; näs soil mark climate klimat jungle djungel south söder cloud moln (n) lake sjö spring (water) källa coast kust leaf blad star stjärna comet komet light ljus (n) stem stam constellation konstellation lightning blixt storm storm country(side) land (n) lily lilja strait sund current ström low tide ebb stream bäck daffodil narcisser meadow äng sun sol daisy tusensköna moon måne sunflower solros darkness mörker (n) mountain berg (n) thaw töväder (n) desert öken mountain range bergskedja thunder åska dew dagg mud mudder (n) tornado tromb dust dam (n) nature natur tree träd earth jord north norr tulip tulpan east öster peninsula halvö valley dal farm lantbruk / farm plain slät view utsikt field fält planet planet water vatten (n) flower blomma plant växt waterfall vattenfall (n) foam skum (n) pond dam (n) wave bölja fog dimma rain regn (n) weather väder (n) forest skog rainbow regnbåge west väster fresh water sötvatten (n) river flod wind vind frost frost rock klippa world värld 50. Parts of the Body ankle fotled finger finger (n) nail nagel arm arm fist knytnäve neck hals artery pulsåder flesh kött (n) nerve nerv back rygg foot fot nose smärta beard skägg (n) forehead panna pulse hjärtslag belly buk gum tandkött (n) rib revben (n) bladder blåsa hair hår (n) shin skenben blood blod (n) hand hand shoulder skuldra body kropp head huvud (n) skeleton skelett bone ben (n) health hälsa skin skinn (n) brain hjärna heart hjärta (n) skull skalle breast bröst heel häl sole fotsula breath ande hip höft spine ryggrad calf vad intestine inelvor (pl.) stomach mage cheek kind jaw käft temple tinning chest bröst (n) kidney njure thigh lår (n) chin haka knee knä (n) throat strupe complexion hy leg ben (n) thumb tumme ear öra (n) lip läpp toe tå elbow armbåge liver lever tongue tunga eye öga (n) lung lunga tooth tand eyebrow ögonbryn (n) moustache mustasch vein åder eyelid ögonlock (n) mouth mun waist midja face ansikte (n) muscle muskel wrist handled 51. Relative Pronouns The relative pronoun som can be translated at that, which, whom, or who and it can act as a subject or as a complement. Där (where, in which) and när (when) can also be used as relative pronouns for location and time. Stan, som ligger där borta, är Skövde. The city that is over there is Skovde. Flickan, som fyller 17 år, är min syster. The girl who is going to be 17 is my sister. Restaurangen, som du tycker om, ligger i Gamla Stan. The restaurant which you like is in Gamla Stan. 52. Animals & Insects animal djur (n) giraffe giraff pig svin (n) ant myra goat get pigeon duva badger grävling goose gås pike gädda bat flädermus gorilla gorilla rabbit kanin beak näbb grasshopper gräshoppa raccoon tvättbjörn bear björn hamster hamster rat råtta bee bi (n) hare hare rooster tupp beetle skalbagge hedgehog igelkott salmon lax bird fågel hen höna scale fjäll (n) blackbird koltrast heron häger scorpion skorpion bull tjur herring sill sea gull mås butterfly fjäril hoof hov seahorse sjöhäst calf kalv horn horn (n) seal säl carp karp horse häst shark haj cat katt hummingbird kolibrier sheep får caterpillar larv iguana Ieguan shrimp räka chicken kyckling insect insekt slug snigel chimpanzee schimpans jellyfish manet snail snigel claw klo kitten kattunge snake orm cockroach kackerlacka ladybug nyckelpiga sole sjötunga cod torsk lamb lamm (n) sparrow sparv cow ko lark lärka spider spindel crab krabba lion lejon (n) squirrel ekorre crayfish kräfta lizard ödla starfish sjöstjärna crocodile krokodil lobster (spiny) hummer stork stork crow kråka louse lus swallow svala deer hjort mackerel makrill swan svan dog hund mole mullvad tadpole grodyngel donkey åsna monkey apa tail svans dragonfly trollslända mosquito mygga tiger tiger duck anka moth nattfjäril toad padda eagle örn mouse mus trout forell eel ål mule mula tuna tonfisk elephant elefant nightingale näktergal turkey kalkon feather fjäder octopus bläckfisk turtle sköldpaddor fin fena ostrich struts wasp geting fish fisk owl uggla weasel vessla flea loppa ox oxe whale valfisk fly fluga oyster ostron (n) wing vinge fox räv parrot papegoja wolf varg frog groda partridge rapphöna worm mask fur päls paw tass zebra sebra gill gäl penguin pingvin     53. Adverbs never aldrig possibly möjligen always alltid often ofta probably antagligen already redan at least åtminstone surely säkert only, merely bara seldom sällan gladly, willingly gärna soon snart not inte probably troligtvis maybe, perhaps kanska usually vanligtvis hardly knappast really, indeed verkligen Adverbs are generally placed after the first verb in independent clauses with straight word order. David röker ofta pipa. David often smokes a pipe. Stockholm ligger inte i Amerika. Stockholm is not in a America. Talar Bo alltid långsamt? Does Bo always speak slowly? In subordinate clauses, the adverb is placed before the conjugated verb. Hon tror, att hon alltid har rätt. She thinks that she is always right. Lars sade, att han inte tycker om att köra bil. Lars said that he doesn't like to drive. Many adverbs in Swedish have two distinct forms: one to denote location and one to denote movement to or from a place. Location adverbs answer the question var? where? while movement adverbs answer the question vart? where to?   Location Movement in inne in out ute ut there framme fram up uppe upp down nere ner here här hit there där dit away borta bort (at) home hemma hem Location adverbs are used with verbs of rest (vara, stå, ligga, sitta, stanna, finnas, bo, trivas) and movement adverbs are used with verbs of motion (gå, komma, fara, resa, åka, flytta, spring, köra, flyga). Malin är här. Malin is here. Malin kommer hit. Malin is coming here. Mamma stannar hemma. Mother is staying home. Mamma går hem. Mother is going home. 54. Present & Past Participles The present participle in Swedish acts as an adjective. Present participles cannot be used to form the progressive tenses as in English, i.e. He is reading is translated as Han läser. Nor can present participles be used as gerunds (-ing form used as nouns in English). In this case, the infinitive is used: Do you like reading? Tycker du om att läsa? The Swedish present participle is formed by adding -ande to most verbs, and -ende to verbs whose infinitives do not end in -a. Although the present participle acts as an adjective, it is not declined like other adjectives. It remains the same at all times. en strålande dag två strålande dagar den strålande dagen de strålande dagarna The past participle in Swedish also acts as an adjective, either in the predicate of the sentence or as a modifying adjective before a noun. Unlike the present participle, the past participle does decline and agree with the noun in gender and number. Remember that the supine form is used in the perfect tenses in Swedish, whereas English uses the past participle. The past participle is used in the passive voice in Swedish, however. Indefinite Forms: The en word forms vary according to the conjugation pattern of the verb. The ett word forms are similar to the regular adjective endings, and add -t or -tt. The plural forms add either -a or -e ( for -ar verbs). Predicate adjectives are always declined in the definite forms. Definite Forms: The singular and plural forms of the definite past participles are the same as the plural indefinite forms: add -a to most verbs, and -e to -ar verbs. 55. Passive Voice Bli + past participle The passive voice is formed similar to the English passive, but with a different verb: conjugation of bli + past participle (which must agree with the subject). It is possible to use vara (be) instead of bli (become) in these sentences, but this describes a state or condition. Using bli describes an action or a transition from one state to another. Notice that av is the preposition used to mean by when expressing the agent. Skjortan blir tvättad. The shirt was washed. Kläderna blir tvättade. The dresses were washed. Huset blev sålt av Johan. The house was sold by John. Verb + s Another way to form the passive voice is the -s form. The ending -s can be added to the infinitive, past tense or supine forms. In the present tense, -s is added to the infinitive of the -ar and long vowel verbs and to the stem of the -er and irregular verbs. Also, if the stem already ends in -s, an -e is inserted before the -s. This verb + s form commonly follows modal verbs. Nyheterna läses varje timme. The news is read every hour. Bordet köptes av min moster. The table was bought by my aunt. Räkningen hade redan betalats. The bill had already been paid. Barn ska ses men inte höras. The child will be seen but not heard. 56. Office & School Supplies backpack ryggsäck lamp lampa book bok laptop bärbar dator briefcase portfölj map karta cabinet kabinett microphone mikrofon cable kabel monitor monitor calculator kalkylator mouse mus calendar kalender mousepad musmatta chair stol newspaper dagstidning chalk krita notebook anteckningsbok computer dator novel roman crayon färgkrita page sida date datum (n) paper papper desk bord paper clip gem dictionary ordbok pen penna disk (floppy) diskett pencil blyertspenna document dokument periodical tidskrift drawer låda photocopier kopieringsmaskin envelope kuvert (n) printer skrivare eraser gummi (n) ruler linjal fax machine telefax scanner bildläsare file fil scissors sax globe jordglob sender sändare glue limma software mjukvara ink bläck (n) typewriter skrivmaskin keyboard tangentbord wastebasket soptunna 57. Materials & Tools alloy legering axe yxa brass mässing board bräde (n) brick mursten chisel mejsel cement cement (n) cord rep chalk krita file fil clay lera gun gevär (n) coal kol (n) hammer hammare concrete betong hoe hacka copper koppar hook (fishing) metkrok cork kork line (fishing) metrev glass glas (n) nail spik gold guld (n) net nät (n) iron järn (n) nut mutter lead bly (n) pliers tång leather läder (n) plow plog lime kalk rod (fishing) mestpö (n) marble marmor saw såg mercury kvicksilver (n) scissors sax metal metall screw skruv rubber gummi (n) screwdriver skruvmejsel silver silver (n) spring fjäder steel stål (n) string snöre (n) stone sten tool verktyg (n) tar tjära tool box verktygslåda tin tenn (n) wire tråd wood trä (n) wrench skruvnyckel 58. Traveling & Airport arrival ankomst platform plattform baggage bagage (n) porter bärare border gräns railroad car järnvägsvagn coach, car vagn railway järnväg compartment kupé return ticket biljett retur connection förbindelse seat plats customs tull sleeping car sovvagn delay fördröjning station station departure avresa station master stationsinspektor engine lokomotiv (n) stop halt entrance ingång suitcase kappsäck exit utgång ticket biljett guard konduktör ticket office biljettkontor (n) information bureau upplysningskontor (n) time table tidtabell lavatory toalett trunk koffert passenger passagerare visa visa passport pass (n) waiting room väntsal 59. Conversational Phrases   60. Swedish Provinces Sweden is divided into 3 lands: Norrland, Svealand and Gotaland; which are divided into 25 smaller landskap. These are not political divisions, but they are used in everyday language (such as in weather reports). Norrland comprises the 9: Gästrikland, Medelpad, Ångermanland, Hälsingland, Jämtland, Härjedalen, Västerbotten, Norrbotten and Lappland Svealand consists of 6: the capital region Mälardalen in the east, Roslagen to the north-east, the former mining District Bergslagen in the center, and Dalarna and Värmland in the west. Götaland has 10: * Blekinge * Bohuslän * Dalsland * Gotland * Halland * Skåne * Småland * Västergötland * Öland * Östergötland