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Swedish for free
Why learn Swedish?
Swedish is one of the 67 languages you can learn on Lingocard with frequency-ranked flashcards, spaced repetition, and live speaking partners. Build vocabulary and pronunciation at your own pace, on web and mobile.
Swedish is written in the Latin script. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Swedish is a Category I language - about 700 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers. Swedish belongs to the Indo-European (Germanic) family - if you enjoy it, a natural next step is Norwegian or German.
The 50 most common Swedish words
Start with the words you will actually meet: learn these and you will recognize something in almost every Swedish sentence.
| # | Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | och | ohk | and |
| 2 | i | ee | in |
| 3 | att | aht | to |
| 4 | det | deh | it |
| 5 | som | sohm | that / which (relative) |
| 6 | en | en | one |
| 7 | vara | VAH-rah | be |
| 8 | på | poh | on |
| 9 | av | ahv | of |
| 10 | för | fur | for |
| 11 | med | mehd | with |
| 12 | till | til | to |
| 13 | den | den | that |
| 14 | inte | IN-teh | not (negation) |
| 15 | ha | hah | have |
| 16 | om | ohm | if |
| 17 | han | hahn | he |
| 18 | hon | hoon | she |
| 19 | de | dohm | they |
| 20 | jag | yahg | I |
| 21 | du | doo | you |
| 22 | vi | vee | we |
| 23 | man | mahn | man |
| 24 | så | soh | so |
| 25 | men | men | but |
| 26 | sig | say | self |
| 27 | från | frohn | from |
| 28 | eller | EL-ler | or |
| 29 | kunna | KUN-nah | can |
| 30 | säga | SEH-yah | say |
| 31 | komma | KOM-mah | come |
| 32 | göra | YUR-ah | do |
| 33 | se | seh | see |
| 34 | veta | VEH-tah | know |
| 35 | år | ohr | year |
| 36 | tid | teed | time |
| 37 | dag | dahg | day |
| 38 | mycket | MEWK-et | very |
| 39 | bra | brah | good |
| 40 | när | nair | when |
| 41 | nu | noo | now |
| 42 | också | OK-soh | also |
| 43 | alla | AH-lah | all |
| 44 | vad | vahd | what |
| 45 | få | foh | get |
| 46 | gå | goh | go |
| 47 | stor | stoor | large |
| 48 | ny | new | new |
| 49 | människa | MEN-ee-shah | person |
| 50 | efter | EF-ter | after |
Useful phrases in Swedish
- Hej · hey · Hello / Good day
- Hur mår du? · hoor mor doo · How are you?
- Tack · tahk · Thank you
- Snälla · SNEL-lah · Please
- Jag heter... · yah HEH-ter · My name is...
- Var är...? · vahr air · Where is...?
- Hej då · hey DOH · Goodbye
- Ursäkta · oor-SHEK-tah · Excuse me
- Jag förstår inte · yahg fur-STOHR IN-teh · I don't understand
- Kan du hjälpa mig? · kan doo YEL-pah mey · Can you help me?
- Vad kostar det? · vahd KOS-tar deh · How much is it?
- Vi ses imorgon! · vee sess ee-MOR-ron · See you tomorrow!
Learn Swedish with comprehensive language resources
- Pronunciation
- Numbers
- Verbs and adjectives
- Frequency dictionaries
- Basic sentences
- Thematic dictionaries
- Politeness
- Idioms
Learn Swedish, wherever you are
- AI-powered spaced repetition learning system on the go
- Audio processing for pronunciation
- Creation of visual language flash cards with images
- Search for speaking practice partners
- Frequency and thematic dictionaries for any language
- Alert system with exercise reminders
- Live video and messaging to facilitate learning
Join our global Swedish learning community
Collaborate with native Swedish speakers and fellow learners: exchange messages, correct each other's cards, and practice real conversation.
Send friend requests to the speakers you click with and build your own friends list - many practice partners become real friends.
Are you an educator? Teach Swedish online · Create an online Swedish school · Build a Swedish curriculum
Frequently asked questions about learning Swedish
How difficult is it to learn Swedish?
How difficult Swedish is depends on your background, but every language becomes manageable with consistent daily practice. Focusing on the most frequent words first means you can understand and say a lot early on. In the US Foreign Service Institute ranking, Swedish is a Category I language - about 700 class hours to professional working proficiency for English speakers.
What should I learn first to reach a basic level in Swedish?
Start with the 100-500 most frequent words (free in our apps) and the thematic dictionaries most relevant to your daily life. Set clear goals and practise a few minutes every day - consistency is what produces results. Then connect with other learners to build confidence at your new basic level.
How long does it take to learn Swedish?
Most learners reach a comfortable conversational level in Swedish within 8-18 months of consistent daily study. Practising vocabulary with spaced repetition and speaking regularly speeds this up considerably. About 10 million people across 2 countries speak Swedish, so you will never run short of practice partners.
How do I improve my Swedish vocabulary?
Use the spaced-repetition and flashcard systems in the app. You can set daily, weekly, or yearly goals in our mobile apps and steadily reach the vocabulary size you’re aiming for.
Is Swedish pronunciation hard?
Every language has a few sounds that take practice, but Swedish pronunciation becomes consistent with regular listening and speaking. Hearing the language often matters more than memorising rules.
How do I get Free Swedish speaking practice?
Open the Practice or Friends page in the app, send practice requests, and start real conversations with other learners - don’t be shy! You can also mention that you want speaking practice when you create your account, and the platform will help match you with suitable partners.
Do I need to learn the Swedish alphabet first?
If Swedish uses a different script, learning it early unlocks reading - and it's usually faster than people expect. On Lingocard you'll find every alphabet, with example words, free.