Learning Swedish: Tips and the Most Important Words

Like English and German, Swedish is a Germanic language. Many words are similar, and the grammar is fairly simple: there are no grammatical cases as in German, and the verb stays the same for all persons. If you speak English, and especially if you also know some German, you will understand a surprising amount after a short time. A few words are enough for holidaymakers; for people moving to Sweden, the language is the key to the job market and social life.

Can you get by with English?

Yes, on holiday without any problems. Almost all Swedes speak good English, and films are shown in the original language with subtitles. But if you want to live in Sweden, you should learn Swedish. It is a requirement for many jobs, and friendships form more easily in the local language.

Greetings and politeness

• Hej – Hello
• God morgon – Good morning
• Hej då – Bye
• Tack – Thank you
• Tack så mycket – Thank you very much
• Varsågod – Here you are / You’re welcome
• Ursäkta – Excuse me / Sorry
• Ja / Nej – Yes / No

There is no separate word for “please” in a request. Instead, you add a tack: En kaffe, tack means “A coffee, please”.

Useful phrases

• Jag heter … – My name is …
• Jag kommer från … – I come from …
• Talar du engelska? – Do you speak English?
• Jag förstår inte. – I don’t understand.
• Var ligger …? – Where is …?
• Vad kostar det? – How much does it cost?
• Notan, tack. – The bill, please.
• Skål! – Cheers!

Words you will see when out and about

• Öppet / Stängt – Open / Closed
• Ingång / Utgång – Entrance / Exit
• Dagens rätt – Dish of the day
• Systembolaget – the state-run shop for alcoholic drinks
• Lediga rum – Vacancies (rooms available)
• Badplats – Bathing spot
• Enskild väg – Private road

Informal by default

In Sweden, people address each other with the informal du (“you”). This applies to your boss as much as to the doctor, the teacher or strangers in the street. Titles are hardly used either. The formal form ni is now rarely heard in everyday life.

Pronunciation: the most important rules

• å sounds roughly like the “o” in “more”, as in båt (boat).
• o is often pronounced like “oo”: bok (book) sounds like “book” with a long vowel.
• u lies somewhere between “oo” and the German ü.
• y is pronounced like the German ü or the French u.
• k before e, i, y, ä and ö sounds soft, similar to “sh”: köpa (to buy).
• sj, skj, stj stand for a breathy sound that does not exist in English or German and can only be learnt by listening.

The melody of the language is also characteristic. Swedish has a pitch accent, which gives the language its sing-song sound.

False friends

Some words look familiar but mean something else: öl means beer, semester means holiday, rolig means funny, and glass is ice cream.

Ways to learn Swedish

• SFI: “Svenska för invandrare” (Swedish for immigrants) is the municipalities’ free language course for everyone registered in Sweden.
• Adult education: many adult education centres outside Sweden offer Swedish courses.
• Apps and online courses: good for vocabulary and daily practice.
• Radio and television: Swedish public radio broadcasts news in simple Swedish. Series with Swedish subtitles train your listening comprehension.
• Children’s books: Astrid Lindgren in the original is a popular way in.

You can read why the language is so important for work on the page Job hunting in Sweden.