Loading...

Introduction to Swedish: 26

Alright, it is true that these sentences are quite unusual. When you talk about things you usually want to at least specify what things you are talking about or at least say the thing or the house and so on. We run into a problem here, though:

Swedish words for the are virtually the same as their words for a: en and et.

Well, you have a modification in that ett, as it becomes et, but you can't really here it very well in speech.

But this is confusing, right? If you want to say the thing, you can’t say en sak, because that would be the same as a thing. Luckily, Swedes figured out how to solve this confusion:

The Swedish words for the (en and et) go at the end of the word instead of in front of it.

Now that clears up the confusion. For example, if you have an et-word hus, you could say ett hus and that would mean a house, or you could put et at the end of the word and have huset to mean the house.

So how would you say:

What about: 

  1. Put "et" right after "hus" (without any spaces).
    3.   
  3. 
  
   
    
    Remember you are saying "the time".
    4.   
  4. 
  
   
    
    5.   
  5. 
  
   
    
    6.   
  6. 
  
   
    
    Think carefully whether it is "det" or "den" this time.
    7.   
  7. 
  
   
    
    8.   
  8. 
  
   
    
    9.   
  9. 
  
   
    
    10.   
  10. 
  
   
    
    11.   
  11. 
  
   
    
    Just put "good" and "night" together.
    12.   
  12. 
  
   
    
    Use the word "hjäjpa".
    13.   
  13. 
  
   
    
    Use "handhun" to remember the word for "he".
    14.   
  14. 
  
   
    
    15.   
  15. 
  
   
    
    16.   
  16. 
  
   
    
    17.   
  17. 
  
   
    
    Remember that "the car" is just one word. And, again, "England" is "England".
    18.   
  18. 
  
   
    
    19.   
  19. 
  
   
    
    20.   
  20. 
  
   
    
    Use the same word order as in English.
    21.   
  21. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "what want you?"
    22.   
  22. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "what have you?"
    23.   
  23. 
  
   
    
    Use the same word order as in English. From was "från".
    24.   
  24. 
  
   
    
    Don't forget to make "house" into "the house".
    25.   
  25. 
  
   
    
    26.   
  26. 
  
   
    
    Use the word order "why speak you Swedish?"
    27.   
  27. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "how want you do it?" Remember the double "l" in "vill".
    28.   
  28. 
  
   
    
    Remember that this is literally "how have you it?" The word "how" was "hur".
    29.   
  29. 
  
   
    
    30.   
  30. 
  
   
    
    This is "I have it good, thanks".
    31.   
  31. 
  
   
    
    You are saying "have it so good", and using the word "bra" instead of "god". The imperative word for "have" is only two letters long, and comes from the infinitive form.
    32.   
  32. 
  
   
    
    Do you remember that "hi" was "hej"? Also, you are asking "how have you it?" (Remember that "how" was "hur".)
    33.   
  33. 
  
   
    
    You are saying "I have it good, thanks".
    34.   
  34. 
  
   
    
    The same word order as in English. "From" was "från", and where was "var".
    35.   
  35. 
  
   
    
    Sweden was "Sverige".
    36.   
  36. 
  
   
    
    37.   
  37. 
  
   
    
    Literally: "No, I speak not English."
    38.   
  38. 
  
   
    
    This sounds similar to "whatfor?"
    39.   
  39. 
  
   
    
    40.   
  40. 
  
   
    
    Your car comes with a bill, remember?
    41.   
  41. 
  
   
    
    Be careful to use "en" and "et" where appropriate.
    42.   
  42. 
  
   
    
    You will be saying "the car", thus add the right article to end the word.
    43.   
  43. 
  
   
    
    44.   
  44. 
  
   
    
    Use the word "vara" for "be". Be careful as to whether you use "det" or "den".
    45.   
  45. 
  
   
    
    46.   
  46. 
  
   
    
    This is, remember, literally "have it so good". Use the word "bra" for "good", and "så" for so.
    47. 

  
                                                       
                                                

                                                

                                                        
                                                        
1 50