[siis-box][siis-lbl lid="beg001" rid="1"][siis-dia-line]Det här är Anders.[/siis-dia-line][siis-dia-trans]This is Anders.[/siis-dia-trans][siis-lbl lid="beg001" rid="2"][siis-dia-line]Han är 24 år gammal.[/siis-dia-line][siis-dia-trans]He is 24 years old.[/siis-dia-trans][siis-lbl lid="beg001" rid="3"][siis-dia-line]Han är student.[/siis-dia-line][siis-dia-trans]He is a student.[/siis-dia-trans][siis-lbl lid="beg001" rid="4"][siis-dia-line]Han bor i Stockholm och studerar på Stockholms universitet.[/siis-dia-line][siis-dia-trans]He lives in Stockholm and studies at Stockholm university.[/siis-dia-trans][/siis-box]

[siis-tbl][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td width="50%"][siis-keyword]bo[/siis-keyword] [buː][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td width="50%"]live[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]det här[/siis-keyword] [de(t) ˈhæːr][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]this[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]gammal[/siis-keyword] [ˇgamːal][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]old[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]han[/siis-keyword] [hanː][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]he[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]i[/siis-keyword] [iː][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]in[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]på[/siis-keyword] [poː][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]on[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]student[/siis-keyword] (en) [stɵˈdɛnːt][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]student[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]studera[/siis-keyword] [stɵˈdeːra][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]study[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]universitet[/siis-keyword] (ett) [ɵnɪvɛʂɪˈteːt][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]university[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]vara[/siis-keyword] [ˇvɑːra][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]be[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-keyword]år[/siis-keyword] (ett) [oːr][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]year[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][/siis-tbl]

In the beginning of your learning journey, Swedish is an easy language – at least if you already speak a so-called SVO-language. This means that your basic word order relies on a Subject (the one doing something), a Verb (the action) and, if needed, an Object (whatever the action affects), in that order. Because of this, a lot of sentences can be translated into English word by word:

[siis-example]Han är student.[/siis-example]
He is a student.

[siis-example]Jag äter flingor.[/siis-example]
I eat cereals.

Thus, you can construct easy sentences in this manner: [siis-keyword]Jag[/siis-keyword] [siis-keyword]är[/siis-keyword] [adjective, occupation, whatever you can be].

[siis-tbl][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-th width="50%"]Occupation[/siis-tbl-th][siis-tbl-th width="50%"][/siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är student.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I am a student.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är lärare.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I am a teacher.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td] [/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td] [/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td] [/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-th]Adjective[/siis-tbl-th][siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är glad.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I am glad.
I am happy.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är sjuk.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I am sick.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td] [/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td] [/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td] [/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-th]Nationality[/siis-tbl-th][siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är amerikan.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm an American.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är svensk.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I am Swedish.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][/siis-tbl]

[siis-tip-box]Swedish makes use of so-called naked nouns when speaking about something more generally. This is why certain examples in this lesson lacks the indefinite article en or ett. This is nothing we need to worry about right now.[/siis-tip-box]

What makes Swedish so easy in the beginning is the lack of several constructions, which you might be used to in English. This also means less new stuff to memorize!

For instance, Swedish verbs only have one form for each tense and completely disregard who is performing the action. This also means that Swedish lacks a continuous form and needs you to fall back on the basic form for the tenses even though the action is ongoing. Thus I eat and I'm eating are both expressed with äter. This is important to know right from the start, since many students try to shoehorn an är into this phrase. This also means that we NEED a subject in Swedish.

Present tense of [siis-keyword]vara[/siis-keyword] and [siis-keyword]äta[/siis-keyword]

[siis-tbl][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-th][siis-tbl-th]vara (to be)[/siis-tbl-th][siis-tbl-th]äta (to eat)[/siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td]jag (I)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]är (am)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]äter (eat/am eating)[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td]du (you)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]är (are)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]äter (eat/are eating)[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td]han/hon/det (he/she/it)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]är (is)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]äter (eats/is eating)[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td]vi (we)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]är (are)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]äter (eat/are eating)[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td]ni (you all)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]är (are)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]äter (eat/are eating)[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td]de (they)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]är (are)[/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]äter (eat/are eating)[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][/siis-tbl]

[siis-tip-box]In spoken Swedish we often leave out a great deal of letters/sounds. This is especially common at the end of a word, where endings get dropped. As you start listening to Swedish, don't let the indescrepencies between spoken and written Swedish confuse you.[/siis-tip-box]

[siis-tbl][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-th width="50%"]More examples[/siis-tbl-th][siis-tbl-th width="50%"][/siis-tbl-th][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är engelsman.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm an Englishman.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är australiensare.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm an Australian.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är nyazeeländare.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm a New Zeelander.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är kanadensare.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm a Canadian.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Det här är ett hus.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]This is a house.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Han bor i Göteborg.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]He lives in Gothenburg.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Han studerar historia.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]He studies history.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är 54 år gammal.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm 54 years old.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Det här är Lisa.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]This is Lisa.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Det där är ett gammalt universitet.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]That is an old university.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag är gammal.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]I'm old.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Hon bor i München.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]She lives in Munich.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Hon studerar litteratur.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]She studies literature.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Jag studerar på Harvard.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]Ich study at Harvard.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Hon är 16 år.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]She is 16.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Han är receptionist.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]He's a receptionist.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Du är snäll.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]You're kind.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Hon är målvakt.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]She's a goal keeper.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Anders bor i Stockholm.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]Anders lives in Stockholm.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-tr][siis-tbl-td][siis-example]Han är en hund.[/siis-example][/siis-tbl-td][siis-tbl-td]He's a dog.[/siis-tbl-td][/siis-tbl-tr][/siis-tbl]