10 facts about Swedish
If you can speak Swedish, you'll also easily understand Danish and Norwegian.
Sweden stands for "our kingdom".
Unlike in English, definite articles (such as "the") come after the noun in Swedish.
Swedish didn't become the national language of Sweden until 2009.
Swedish was an official language in Finland before Sweden and continues to be one of their two official languages.
"S" happens to be the most common first letter in Swedish words.
Modern Swedish has only existed for 500 years.
The verb form remains the same in Swedish no matter whether being referred to in the past, present, or future tense.
Swedish has loads of combination words. For example, the word for sick is “sjuk” and the word for house is “hus,” and together they would make a hospital (sickhouse).
In Swedish, there’s a different word for a grandmother on your mom’s side (wài pó) than on your dad’s side (nǎi nai).
Origin of the language
Swedish was a descendant of Old Norse and spoken by the Germanic peoples living in Scandinavia during the Viking Era.
History of the language
It began in the last decades of the 19th century.
Learning the language
It takes about 575 hours to learn Swedish.
Swedish Language for Beginners
These are ten interesting words to start learning in Swedish.
Windy or stormy weather=Blåsväder
Star=Stjärna
Friend=Vän
Silence=Tystnad
Live-in partner=Sambo
Talented=Duktig
Cool=Kul
Love=Älskar
Troublesome=Jobbig
Beautiful or Fair=Skönt
The present moment is significant, not as the bridge between past and future, but by reason of its contents, which can fill our emptiness and become ours if we are capable of receiving them.
Dag Hammarsköld
Swedish Economist
You read and write and sing and experience, thinking that one day these things will build the character you admire to live as. You love and lose and bleed best you can, to the extreme, hoping that one day the world will read you like the poem you want to be.
Charlotte Eriksson
Swedish Writer
Be yourself. The world worships the original.
Ingrid Bergman
Swedish Actress
Fun Facts About the Swedish Language
Different Words’ for Grandparents
Swedish traces family words by maternal and paternal lines, which means there are different words for your grandparents on the mom’s side and dad’s side.
No “Please”
There’s no way to say “please”. So if you want to be polite, you’re going to have to find another way.
Weekdays Named After Nordic Gods
In Swedish, the days of the week are named after Nordic Gods.
Gender-Neutral Pronouns
Swedish has three pronouns: hon (she), han (he), and hen (a gender-neutral personal pronoun).
You May Know Some Swedish
Chances are that you already know some Swedish, for example, “gauntlet” is a Swedish word.
Words with Depth
Fika means to have a cup of coffee with a treat at a cafe while talking with a friend.
No Q or X
Very few words start with ‘Q’ or ‘X’ in Swedish.
Drinking Moderately
Lagom means “not too little, not too much, but just right.”
Our Kingdom
Sweden got its name from the Svear people nearly 2,000 years ago. In their language, svear meant "we", and rike meant "kingdom".
Danish Influence
Before 1525, the language was influenced by Danish, but after the revolt of Gustav I Vasa, it was distinguished as a separate language.
