Tag Archives: Grammar
That’s just the worst. In Swedish. Posted by Marcus Cederström on Jan 27, 2014
Are you struggling to complain about things in Swedish? Not sure how to say something is worse than something else? Or the worst even? It may be because there are actually two words for the English word, “worse.” Värre and sämre both, technically, mean “worse.” But there are some nuances that will help you learn exactly…
Particle Verbs Posted by Marcus Cederström on Nov 28, 2013
Particle verbs (or phrasal verbs) aren’t always easy. In fact, tacking on that particle, usually a preposition or adverb, at the end of a verb can really change the meaning of a word. We have them in English too: pick on, look after, make out. So how do you tell the difference? When speaking (and…
How fast can you eat 25 hot dogs? In Swedish. Posted by Marcus Cederström on Sep 30, 2013
Prepositions are hard. They’re hard in English. They’re hard in Swedish. They’re just hard. They can be used in so many different ways and mean so many different things. There are pages and pages of rules. It’s kind of exhausting and overwhelming. And now that we’ve got all that negative stuff out of the way…
How to Use “Man” in Swedish Posted by Marcus Cederström on Nov 30, 2012
Man is one of those sometimes confusing words in Swedish. It can be used a couple of different ways and mean a couple of different things. First, and maybe most obvious, it means “man” in English when you’re just using it as your classic noun. It can also be used to create a passive tense…
Tycka, tänka and tro – The many translations of “think” Posted by Katja on Apr 20, 2012
If English speakers have any problem with Swedish it would probably be these three little words: tycka, tänka and tro. Because in English we only have one real equivalent for them; think. When Swedes speak English they feel a lack of nuance and overcompensate by using “I believe” as a straight translation of “Jag tror”…
“This” and “these” Posted by Katja on Jan 19, 2012
In Sweden there are lots of different dialects, and of course people use different words for the same thing. Something as simple as “this” you’ll find lots of variations of and for someone learning Swedish that can be a bit confusing. Especially if the word everybody is using in some areas is grammatically incorrect, and…
“What is this?” in Swedish Posted by Katja on Jan 6, 2012
So, after looking at the feedback some of you guys sent in many of you were interested in becoming more able to have everyday conversations. I thought, since I don’t really have a good idea of what level you all are at, I start somewhere in the really basic area and work towards more complex…