100 Most Common Swedish Words
och[ɔ(kː)] · conj.New
and
vara[ˇvɑːra] · verbNew
to be
[ˇvɑːra] · verb
| present | är |
| past | var |
| supine | varit |
| pres. participle | varande |
| subjunctive | vore |
i[iː] · prep.New
in
ha[hɑː] · verbNew
to have
[hɑː] · verb
| present | har |
| past | hade |
| supine | haft |
| pres. participle | havande |
| past part. (common) | havd |
| past part. (neuter) | haft |
| past part. (plural) | havda |
| imperative | ha |
dess[dɛsː] · possesive pron.New
its
det[deː(t)] · personal pron.New
it, that
[deː(t)] · personal pron.
Refers to an ett-word: Huset är nytt. Det är stort. Also used as a formal subject: Det regnar.
en[ɛnː] · num.New
one, a, an
som[sɔmː] · subj.New
which, that
[sɔmː] · subj.
Refers back to someone or something: Jag har en vän som bor här.
på[poː] · prep.New
on
av[ɑːv] · prep.New
from, of
för[fœːr] · prep.New
for, to
att[atː] · subj.New
that
[atː] · subj.
Introduces a clause: Jag tror att bussen kommer snart. This is not the infinitive marker in att läsa.
kunna[ˇkɵnːa] · verbNew
to can, to may
[ˇkɵnːa] · verb
| present | kan |
| past | kunde |
| supine | kunnat |
skola[ˇskuːla] · verbNew
to must, to be going to, to want, to shall
[ˇskuːla] · verb
| present | ska/skall |
| past | skulle |
| supine | skolat |
Auxiliary verb, not the noun meaning school. Normally encountered as ska: Jag ska arbeta. Also recognise skulle: Jag skulle ringa. The infinitive skola is uncommon today.
jag[jɑː(g)] · personal pron.New
I
inte[ˇɪnːtɛ] · adv.New
not
med[meː(d)] · prep.New
with
till[tɪ(lː)] · prep.New
to
liten[ˇliːtɛn] · adj.New
small
[ˇliːtɛn] · adj.
| neuter | litet |
| plural | lilla |
| definite | små |
| comparative | mindre |
| superlative | minst |
| superlative (definite) | minsta |
den[dɛnː] · demonstrative pron.New
the, that, this
ett[ɛtː] · num.New
one, a, an
[ɛtː] · num.
The number one with ett-words: ett hus, två hus. En is used with en-words.
unna sig[ˈɵnːa sɛj] · verbNew
to treat oneself, to allow oneself
[ˈɵnːa sɛj] · verb
| present | unnar sig |
| past | unnade sig |
| supine | unnat sig |
| imperative | unna dig |
om[ɔmː] · prep.New
about, around
[ɔmː] · prep.
Means "about" in Vi pratar om skolan and "in" in Bussen kommer om fem minuter. Conditional om, meaning "if", is a separate subjunction use.
vi[viː] · personal pron.New
we
men[mɛnː] · conj.New
but
man[manː] · indefinite pron.New
one, you
[manː] · indefinite pron.
Refers to people in general, like English you or one: Här betalar man med kort. Object form: en. Possessive form: ens. Not the noun meaning man or husband.
de[deː] · determinerNew
the, those
[deː] · determiner
Plural determiner, as in de stora husen.
få[foː] · verbNew
to get, to be allowed to
[foː] · verb
| present | får |
| past | fick |
| supine | fått |
| pres. participle | fående |
| past part. (common) | fådd |
| past part. (neuter) | fått |
| past part. (plural) | fådda |
| imperative | få |
Can mean receive: Jag får ett brev. With an infinitive it can express permission: Får jag sitta här?
så[soː] · adv.New
so, that way
[soː] · adv.
Degree adverb meaning so: Det är så kallt idag. Conjunction uses of så are separate grammatical uses.
som[sɔmː] · conj.New
as, like
[sɔmː] · conj.
Introduces a comparison or role.
sig[sɛjː] [siːg] · reflexive pron.New
oneself, himself, herself, itself, themselves
[sɛjː] [siːg] · reflexive pron.
Reflexive form for han, hon, den, det, de and man. For jag use mig; for du use dig.
han[hanː] · personal pron.New
he
de[dɔmː] [deː] · personal pron.New
they
[dɔmː] [deː] · personal pron.
Subject, third person plural
bli[bliː] · verbNew
to become
[bliː] · verb
| present | blir |
| past | blev |
| supine | blivit |
| pres. participle | blivande |
| past part. (common) | bliven |
| past part. (neuter) | blivet |
| past part. (plural) | blivna |
| imperative | bli |
komma[ˇkɔmːa] · verbNew
to come
[ˇkɔmːa] · verb
| present | kommer |
| past | kom |
| supine | kommit |
| pres. participle | kommande |
| past part. (common) | kommen |
| past part. (neuter) | kommet |
| past part. (plural) | komna |
| imperative | kom |
det[deː(t)] · determinerNew
the, that
[deː(t)] · determiner
Determiner used with ett-words, as in det stora huset.
sin[sɪnː] · possesive pron.New
his, hers, its, theirs
[sɪnː] · possesive pron.
Refers back to the subject: Han tar sin bok. Use sitt with ett-words: Hon tar sitt kort. Use sina with plurals: Hon tar sina böcker. For jag and du, use min and din instead.
eller[ɛlːɛr] · conj.New
or
från[froːn] · prep.New
from
mycket[ˇmʏkːɛ(t)] · adv.New
much, very
[ˇmʏkːɛ(t)] · adv.
| comparative | mer |
| superlative | mest |
vilja[ˇvɪlːja] · verbNew
to want
[ˇvɪlːja] · verb
| present | vill |
| past | ville |
| supine | velat |
all[alː] · quantitative pron.New
all
[alː] · quantitative pron.
| present | allt |
| past | alla |
göra[ˇjœːra] · verbNew
to do
[ˇjœːra] · verb
| present | gör |
| past | gjorde |
| supine | gjort |
| pres. participle | görande |
| past part. (common) | gjord |
| past part. (neuter) | gjort |
| past part. (plural) | gjorda |
| imperative | gör |
om[ɔmː] · subj.New
if
annan[ˇanːan] · indefinite pron.New
other, another
[ˇanːan] · indefinite pron.
| present | annat |
| past | andra |
Changes form: en annan dag, ett annat rum, andra dagar.
du[dʉː] · personal pron.New
you
[dʉː] · personal pron.
second person singular
någon[ˇnoːgɔn] · quantitative pron.New
someone
finna[ˇfɪnːa] · verbNew
to find
[ˇfɪnːa] · verb
| present | finner |
| past | fann |
| supine | funnit |
| pres. participle | finnande |
| past part. (common) | funnen |
| past part. (neuter) | funnet |
| past part. (plural) | funna |
| imperative | finn |
ta[tɑː] · verbNew
to take
[tɑː] · verb
| present | tar |
| past | tog |
| supine | tagit |
| pres. participle | tagande |
| past part. (common) | tagen |
| past part. (neuter) | taget |
| past part. (plural) | tagna |
| imperative | ta |
när[næːr] · adv.New
when
se[seː] · verbNew
to see
[seː] · verb
| present | ser |
| past | såg |
| supine | sett |
| pres. participle | seende |
| past part. (common) | sedd |
| past part. (neuter) | sett |
| past part. (plural) | sedda |
| imperative | se |
måste[ˇmɔsːtɛ] · verbNew
to must
[ˇmɔsːtɛ] · verb
| present | måste |
| past | måste |
| supine | måst |
Followed by an infinitive without att: Jag måste gå. Måste inte means do not have to; prohibition is får inte.
detta[ˇdɛtːa] · demonstrative pron.New
this
stor[stuːr] · adj.New
big, large
[stuːr] · adj.
| neuter | stort |
| plural | stora |
| definite | stora |
| comparative | större |
| superlative | störst |
| superlative (definite) | största |
nu[nʉː] · adv.New
now
gå[goː] · verbNew
to go
[goː] · verb
| present | går |
| past | gick |
| supine | gått |
| pres. participle | gående |
| past part. (common) | gången |
| past part. (neuter) | gånget |
| past part. (plural) | gångna |
| imperative | gå |
säga[ˇsɛjːa] · verbNew
to say, to tell
[ˇsɛjːa] · verb
| present | säger |
| past | sade |
| supine | sagt |
| pres. participle | sägande |
| past part. (common) | sagd |
| past part. (neuter) | sagt |
| past part. (plural) | sagda |
| imperative | säg |
den[dɛnː] · personal pron.New
it
[dɛnː] · personal pron.
Refers to an en-word: Boken är här. Jag läser den.
vad[vɑː(d)] · adv.New
what
år[oːr] · nounNew
year
[oːr] · noun
| definite singular | året |
| indefinite plural | år |
| definite plural | åren |
äga[ˇɛːga] · verbNew
to own, to possess
[ˇɛːga] · verb
| present | äger |
| past | ägde |
| supine | ägt |
| pres. participle | ägande |
| past part. (common) | ägd |
| past part. (neuter) | ägt |
| past part. (plural) | ägda |
| imperative | äg |
under[ɵnːdɛr] · prep.New
under
betyda[bɛˈtyːda] · verbNew
to mean, to signify
[bɛˈtyːda] · verb
| present | betyder |
| past | betydde |
| supine | betytt |
| pres. participle | betydande |
| past part. (common) | betydd |
| past part. (neuter) | betytt |
| past part. (plural) | betydda |
| imperative | betyd |
också[ˇɔkːsɔ] · adv.New
also
där[dæːr] · adv.New
there, where
[dæːr] · adv.
Translates to “where” when used as a relative adverb.
då[doː] · adv.New
then, when
[doː] · adv.
Translates to “when” when used as a relative adverb.
min[mɪnː] · possesive pron.New
my, mine
[mɪnː] · possesive pron.
Changes with the following noun: min bok, mitt hus, mina böcker.
böra[ˇbœːra] · verbNew
to should
[ˇbœːra] · verb
| present | bör |
| past | borde |
| supine | bort |
The perfect and plusquamperfect forms are uncommon.
hur[hʉːr] · adv.New
how
mig[mɛjː] · personal pron.New
me
mot[muːt] · prep.New
towards, against
bara[ˇbɑːra] · adv.New
only
vilken[ˇvɪlːkɛn] · interrogative pron.New
which, what
[ˇvɪlːkɛn] · interrogative pron.
| present | vilket |
| past | vilka |
ut[ʉːt] · adv.New
out
ny[nyː] · adj.New
new
[nyː] · adj.
| neuter | nytt |
| plural | nya |
| definite | nya |
| comparative | nyare |
| superlative | nyast |
| superlative (definite) | nyaste |
vid[viː(d)] [vɪ] · prep.New
by
än[ɛnː] · subj.New
than
bra[brɑː] · adj.New
good
[brɑː] · adj.
| neuter | bra |
| plural | bra |
| definite | bra |
| comparative | bättre |
| superlative | bäst |
| superlative (definite) | bästa |
ingen[ˇɪŋːɛn] · indefinite pron.New
no one, no
dem[dɔmː] [dɛmː] · personal pron.New
them
[dɔmː] [dɛmː] · personal pron.
Object form meaning them: Jag ser dem. The subject form is de. Both are often pronounced dom.
efter[ɛfːtɛr] · prep.New
after
upp[ɵpː] · adv.New
up
hon[hʊnː] · personal pron.New
she
lite[ˇliːtɛ] · adv.New
a little
[ˇliːtɛ] · adv.
| comparative | mindre |
| superlative | minst |
denna[ˇdɛnːa] · demonstrative pron.New
this
in[ɪnː] · adv.New
in, inside
över[øːvɛr] · prep.New
over, past
ge[jeː] · verbNew
to give
[jeː] · verb
| present | ger |
| past | gav |
| supine | givit |
| pres. participle | givande |
| past part. (common) | given |
| past part. (neuter) | givet |
| past part. (plural) | givna |
| imperative | ge |
vår[voːr] · possesive pron.New
our, ours
[voːr] · possesive pron.
Means our: vår bok, vårt hus, våra böcker. Separate from the noun vår, meaning spring.
del[deːl] · nounNew
part
[deːl] · noun
| definite singular | delen |
| indefinite plural | delar |
| definite plural | delarna |
här[hæːr] · adv.New
here
även[ˇɛːvɛn] · adv.New
also, even
skriva[ˇskriːva] · verbNew
to write
[ˇskriːva] · verb
| present | skriver |
| past | skrev |
| supine | skrivit |
| pres. participle | skrivande |
| past part. (common) | skriven |
| past part. (neuter) | skrivet |
| past part. (plural) | skrivna |
| imperative | skriv |
tid[tiːd] · nounNew
time, appointment
[tiːd] · noun
| definite singular | tiden |
| indefinite plural | tider |
| definite plural | tiderna |
ju[jʉː] · adv.New
filler word, rather
sedan[ˇseːdan] [sɛnː] · adv.New
then, afterwards
riva[ˇriːva] · verbNew
to grate, to demolish, to scratch, to tear
[ˇriːva] · verb
| present | river |
| past | rev |
| supine | rivit |
| pres. participle | rivna |
| past part. (common) | riven |
| past part. (neuter) | rivet |
| past part. (plural) | rivna |
| imperative | riv |
börja[ˇbœrːja] · verbNew
to begin, to start
[ˇbœrːja] · verb
| present | börjar |
| past | började |
| supine | börjat |
| pres. participle | börjande |
| past part. (common) | börjad |
| past part. (neuter) | börjat |
| past part. (plural) | började |
| imperative | börja |
hel[heːl] · adj.New
whole
[heːl] · adj.
| neuter | helt |
| plural | hela |
| definite | hela |
dag[dɑː(g)] · nounNew
day
[dɑː(g)] · noun
| definite singular | dagen/dan |
| indefinite plural | dagar/dar |
| definite plural | dagarna |
Based on Kilgarriff, Adam; Charalabopoulou, Frieda; Gavrilidou, Maria; Johannessen, Janne Bondi; Khalil, Saussan; Kokkinakis, Sofie Johansson; Lew, Robert; Sharoff, Serge; Vadlapudi, Ravikiran & Volodina, Elena. 2014. Corpus-based vocabulary lists for language learners for nine languages. Language Resources and Evaluation, 48:121–163, DOI 10.1007/s10579-013-9251-2.