This list of the thousand most common Swedish words is the result of a statistical analysis that we performed on a vast collection of Swedish-language documents (such as news articles and other articles on the web).
Swedish is a language that has evolved from Old Norse. As a result, many Swedish words originate from Old Norse. For example: “vän” (friend), “skog” (forest), and “fjäll” (mountain).
Among the most common Swedish words, you will also see some words that come from German because the two languages have been in contact for centuries. Here are some examples:
You can use the buttons below to filter this vocabulary list by word type (noun, verb, adjective, etc.).
-
en
[determiner]
(a, an)
Swedish has two grammatical genders. “En” is the indefinite article for the common gender, while “ett” is the one used for the neuter gender.
-
och
[conjunction]
(and)
-
i
[preposition]
(in)
-
att
[particle]
In Swedish, the word “att” has several uses. It is used as a particle to indicate the infinitive form of a verb (for example, “att vara” means “to be”). It is also used as a conjunction that translates to “that.”
-
vara
[verb]
(to be)
-
den
[pronoun]
-
på
[preposition]
(on)
-
som
[pronoun]
(as)
-
ha
[verb]
(to have)
-
för
[preposition]
(for)
-
med
[preposition]
(with)
-
av
[preposition]
-
jag
[pronoun]
(I)
Personal pronouns are among the most frequently used vocabulary words in most languages, including Swedish.
-
till
[preposition]
(to)
-
vi
[pronoun]
(we)
-
inte
[particle]
-
om
[preposition]
-
sig
[pronoun]
-
kunna
[verb]
(to be able to)
-
skola
[verb]
(shall)
-
så
[adverb]
(so)
This is the first adverb appearing in this Swedish frequency dictionary. See here for a guide to Swedish adverbs.
-
men
[conjunction]
(but)
-
få
[verb]
(to get)
-
man
[pronoun]
-
du
[pronoun]
(you)
-
han
[pronoun]
(he)
-
från
[preposition]
(from)
-
de
[pronoun]
-
bli
[verb]
(to become)
-
komma
[verb]
(to come)
-
mycket
[adverb]
(a lot)
-
nu
[adverb]
(now)
-
göra
[verb]
(to do)
-
när
[conjunction]
-
all
[determiner]
(all)
-
någon
[determiner]
-
år
[noun]
(a year)
-
denna
[determiner]
(this)
-
under
[preposition]
(under)
-
annan
[adjective]
-
eller
[conjunction]
(or)
-
ta
[verb]
(to take)
-
gå
[verb]
(to go)
-
säga
[verb]
(to say)
-
bra
[adjective]
(good)
The Swedish adjective “bra” (good) is related to the Italian adjective “bravo” (which also means “good”).
-
stor
[adjective]
(great, large)
The Swedish adjective “stor” (great, large) comes from the Old Norse adjective “stórr”.
-
efter
[preposition]
(after)
-
hon
[pronoun]
(she)
-
här
[adverb]
(here)
-
finnas
[verb]
(to be)
-
där
[adverb]
(there)
-
se
[verb]
(to see)
-
ny
[adjective]
(new)
-
vid
[preposition]
(at)
-
också
[adverb]
(also)
-
även
[adverb]
(also)
-
då
[adverb]
(then)
-
ut
[adverb]
(out)
-
in
[adverb]
-
hur
[adverb]
(how)
-
vilja
[verb]
-
lite
[adverb]
(a little)
-
upp
[adverb]
(up)
-
mot
[preposition]
(against)
-
över
[preposition]
(over)
-
sedan
[adverb]
(then)
-
dag
[noun]
(a day)
-
bara
[adverb]
(only)
-
vad
[pronoun]
(what)
-
två
[numeral]
(two)
-
än
[conjunction]
(than)
-
sen
[adverb]
-
tid
[noun]
(time)
-
vilken
[pronoun]
(which)
-
Sverige
[proper noun]
(Sweden)
“Sverige” is the Swedish word for “Sweden” (the country). The spelling difference reflects the fact that Swedish rarely uses the letter ‘w’.
-
ge
[verb]
(to give)
-
ingen
[determiner]
(no)
-
del
[noun]
(part)
-
hel
[adjective]
(whole)
-
många
[adjective]
-
utan
[preposition]
(without)
-
gång
[noun]
(walk)
In Swedish, the word gång can mean “walk,” but it can also refer to an instance or a moment in time. An example is the phrase “första gången” which translates to “the first time.”
-
ni
[pronoun]
(you)
This word is a plural form of the pronoun “you”. In the past, it was also used to address one person formally. In formal letters and notices, it is still used that way.
-
enligt
[preposition]
(according to)
-
svensk
[adjective]
(Swedish)
-
liten
[adjective]
(little)
-
person
[noun]
-
tidig
[adverb]
(early)
The Swedish adverb “tidig” has almost the same spelling as the corresponding Danish adverb, which is “tidlig”.
-
måste
[verb]
(to must)
-
behöva
[verb]
(to need)
-
ju
[adverb]
-
barn
[noun]
(child)
In the context of language learning, a word like this is called a “false friend” because it resembles a common English word yet has an entirely different meaning.
-
olik
[adjective]
(different)
-
börja
[verb]
(to start)
-
flera
[adjective]
(several)
-
tre
[numeral]
(three)
-
visa
[verb]
(to show)
-
land
[noun]
(a country)
-
hålla
[verb]
(to keep, to hold)
-
fram
[adverb]
(forward)
-
procent
[noun]
(percent)
-
genom
[preposition]
(through)
-
mellan
[preposition]
(between)
-
bland
[preposition]
(among)
-
skriva
[verb]
(to write)
-
vecka
[noun]
(a week)
-
hög
[adjective]
(high)
-
själv
[pronoun]
(himself, herself, itself)
-
inom
[preposition]
(within)
-
både
[conjunction]
(both)
-
stå
[verb]
(to stand)
-
ligga
[verb]
(to lie)
-
kommun
[noun]
(municipality)
-
använda
[verb]
(to use)
-
helt
[adverb]
(completely)
-
fråga
[noun]
(question)
The Swedish word “fråga” (question) is related to the German word “Frage” (question), and it’s quite different from the corresponding Norwegian term (which is “spørsmål”).
-
plats
[noun]
(place)
-
idag
[adverb]
(today)
-
gälla
[verb]
-
innan
[conjunction]
(before)
-
veta
[verb]
(to know)
-
spela
[verb]
(to play)
-
sätt
[noun]
(way)
-
samt
[conjunction]
(and)
-
tro
[verb]
(to believe)
-
kanske
[adverb]
(perhaps)
-
öka
[verb]
(to increase)
-
egen
[adjective]
-
fall
[noun]
-
länge
[adverb]
(long)
-
redan
[adverb]
(already)
-
samma
[determiner]
-
människa
[noun]
(a person)
-
rätt
[noun]
(a right, the law)
-
bild
[noun]
(picture)
-
gammal
[adjective]
(old)
-
viktig
[adjective]
(important)
-
tycka
[verb]
-
mången
[pronoun]
-
krona
[noun]
(crown)
The Swedish word “krona” means “crown”. It’s a frequently used term because it is also the name of the Swedish currency.
-
hitta
[verb]
(to find)
-
dock
[adverb]
(though)
-
hos
[preposition]
-
igen
[adverb]
(again)
-
företag
[noun]
(a business, a company)
Sweden has several multinational companies, such as H&M, IKEA, and Volvo. So it makes sense that the Swedish word “företag” (which means “company” or “business”) is a frequently used term. The word “företag” originates from the verb “företa” (which means “to undertake”).
-
fler
[adjective]
(more)
The Swedish word “fler” means “more.” But unlike its English translation, this Swedish word is only used for things that can be counted (in number, not in mass).
-
tänka
[verb]
(to think)
-
ner
[adverb]
(down)
-
hem
[adverb]
(home)
-
fortsätta
[verb]
(to continue)
-
nära
[adverb]
-
väg
[noun]
(road)
-
varje
[determiner]
(each)
-
väldig
[adverb]
-
just
[adverb]
(just)
-
liv
[noun]
(life)
-
lägga
[verb]
(to lay)
-
svår
[adjective]
(difficult)
-
samtidig
[adverb]
-
eftersom
[conjunction]
(because)
-
väl
[adverb]
(well)
-
värld
[noun]
(world)
-
riktig
[adverb]
-
fin
[adjective]
(fine)
-
sitta
[verb]
(to sit)
-
handla
[verb]
(to act)
-
böra
[verb]
-
tillbaka
[adverb]
(back)
-
god
[adjective]
(good)
-
lång
[adjective]
(long)
-
därför
[adverb]
(therefore)
-
fyra
[numeral]
(four)
-
viss
[adjective]
(certain)
-
alltid
[adverb]
(always)
-
miljon
[noun]
-
Stockholm
[proper noun]
-
ställa
[verb]
-
lämna
[verb]
(to leave)
-
runt
[adverb]
(around)
-
känna
[verb]
(to feel)
-
månad
[noun]
(a month)
-
gärna
[adverb]
(gladly)
-
antal
[noun]
(number)
-
åt
[preposition]
-
ofta
[adverb]
(often)
-
snabb
[adverb]
-
bil
[noun]
(a car)
Some languages have shortened the word “automobile” by keeping only the first part: “auto.” Swedish has shortened it by keeping just the ending: “bil.”
-
arbeta
[verb]
(to work)
-
klar
[adjective]
(ready)
-
match
[noun]
(match)
-
försöka
[verb]
(to try)
-
regering
[noun]
(government)
-
sida
[noun]
(side)
-
trots
[preposition]
(despite)
-
kvinna
[noun]
(a woman)
-
tillsammans
[adverb]
(together)
-
åka
[verb]
(to go)
-
dessutom
[adverb]
(in addition)
-
lag
[noun]
(a law)
-
möjlighet
[noun]
(opportunity)
-
sak
[noun]
(thing)
-
slut
[noun]
-
grund
[noun]
-
berätta
[verb]
(to tell)
-
skapa
[verb]
(to create)
-
inför
[preposition]
-
läsa
[verb]
(to read)
-
nog
[adverb]
(enough)
-
ännu
[adverb]
(yet)
-
bygga
[verb]
(to build)
-
aldrig
[adverb]
(never)
-
vanlig
[adjective]
(common)
-
mål
[noun]
-
följa
[verb]
(to follow)
-
arbete
[noun]
(work)
The Swedish word “arbete” (work) is related to the German word “Arbeit”.
-
bort
[adverb]
(away)
-
sån
[adjective]
-
ändå
[adverb]
(still)
-
beslut
[noun]
(decision)
-
enkel
[adjective]
(simple)
-
hemma
[adverb]
(at home)
-
kvar
[adverb]
-
köpa
[verb]
(to buy)
-
nästa
[adjective]
(next)
-
välja
[verb]
(to choose)
-
innebära
[verb]
-
vänta
[verb]
(to wait)
-
problem
[noun]
(problem)
-
lätt
[adjective]
(light)
-
kort
[adjective]
(short)
-
jobb
[noun]
(job)
-
låta
[verb]
(to sound)
-
hjälpa
[verb]
(to help)
-
först
[adverb]
(first)
-
ur
[preposition]
(from)
-
kalla
[verb]
(to call)
-
verkligen
[adverb]
(really)
-
lika
[adverb]
-
förra
[adjective]
(last)
-
verksamhet
[noun]
-
stark
[adjective]
(strong)
-
minska
[verb]
(to reduce)
-
nästan
[adverb]
(almost)
-
bolag
[noun]
(a company)
-
kräva
[verb]
(to demand)
-
exempel
[noun]
(an example)
-
område
[noun]
(an area)
-
fortfarande
[adverb]
(still)
-
polis
[noun]
(police)
-
sista
[adjective]
(last)
-
möjlig
[adjective]
(possible)
-
jobba
[verb]
(to work)
-
stad
[noun]
(a city)
-
fem
[numeral]
(five)
-
varför
[adverb]
(why)
-
ske
[verb]
(to happen)
-
sätta
[verb]
(to put, to set)
-
familj
[noun]
(family)
-
höra
[verb]
(to hear)
-
köra
[verb]
(to drive)
-
ytterlig
[adverb]
-
hjälp
[noun]
(help)
-
minut
[noun]
(minute)
-
slå
[verb]
-
total
[adverb]
-
erbjuda
[verb]
(to offer)
The Swedish verb “erbjuda” comes from the German verb “erbieten” (which also means “to offer”).
-
leda
[verb]
-
lokal
[adjective]
(local)
-
ställe
[noun]
(a place)
-
resa
[noun]
(a travel)
The Swedish word “resa” (a travel) comes from the same origin as the German term “Reise” (which also means “a travel”).
-
dom
[pronoun]
-
pengar
[noun]
(money)
-
dra
[verb]
-
vidare
[adverb]
(further)
-
folk
[noun]
(a people)
-
kväll
[noun]
-
ung
[adjective]
(young)
-
säsong
[noun]
(a season)
-
bok
[noun]
-
utanför
[preposition]
(outside)
-
timme
[noun]
-
alltså
[adverb]
(thus)
-
fast
[adverb]
(fixed)
-
henne
[pronoun]
(her)
-
hus
[noun]
(a house)
-
hända
[verb]
(to happen)
-
hoppas
[verb]
(to hope)
-
par
[noun]
(a couple)
-
precis
[adverb]
(precisely)
-
söka
[verb]
-
resultat
[noun]
-
hård
[adverb]
-
låg
[adjective]
(low)
-
direkt
[adverb]
(directly)
-
säker
[adjective]
(safe)
-
hand
[noun]
-
dålig
[adjective]
(bad)
The Swedish adjective “dålig” means “bad” (in the sense of something that is of low quality, inadequate, or unusable). In contrast, the adjective “ond” (which is also in this Swedish frequency dictionary) can mean “bad” in the sense of “evil”.
-
lära
[verb]
(to teach)
-
kring
[preposition]
(around)
-
pris
[noun]
(price)
-
betala
[verb]
(to pay)
-
sommar
[noun]
(a summer)
-
början
[noun]
(beginning)
-
fungera
[verb]
(to function, to work)
-
information
[noun]
(information)
-
uppgift
[noun]
(a task)
-
mitt
[noun]
-
via
[preposition]
(via)
-
före
[preposition]
(before)
-
flytta
[verb]
(to move)
-
snart
[adverb]
(soon)
-
personal
[noun]
(staff)
-
form
[noun]
(a form)
-
mena
[verb]
(to mean)
-
verka
[verb]
(to act)
-
öppna
[verb]
(to open)
-
film
[noun]
(film)
-
elev
[noun]
(pupil, learner)
The Swedish word “elev” (pupil) comes from the French term “élève” which means “pupil” or “student.”
-
samhälle
[noun]
(a society)
-
känna
[verb]
(to feel)
-
medan
[conjunction]
(while)
-
kund
[noun]
(customer)
The Swedish word “kund” comes from the German word “Kunde,” which also means “customer.” In German, common nouns start with a capital letter, but not in Swedish.
-
per
[preposition]
-
risk
[noun]
(risk)
-
leva
[verb]
(to live)
-
emot
[adverb]
-
ganska
[adverb]
(quite)
-
långt
[adverb]
(far)
-
faktisk
[adverb]
-
helg
[noun]
(a weekend)
-
skada
[noun]
(damage)
-
passa
[verb]
(to fit)
-
plan
[noun]
-
smitta
[verb]
-
svar
[noun]
(response)
-
anse
[verb]
-
påverka
[verb]
(to influence)
-
istället
[adverb]
(instead)
-
vatten
[noun]
(water)
-
allt
[adverb]
-
ute
[adverb]
-
bakom
[preposition]
(behind)
-
båda
[adjective]
-
grupp
[noun]
(group)
-
prata
[verb]
(to talk)
-
ibland
[adverb]
(sometimes)
-
extra
[adjective]
(extra)
-
situation
[noun]
(a situation)
-
mat
[noun]
(food)
-
tydlig
[adjective]
(clear)
-
sluta
[verb]
(to stop)
-
typ
[noun]
(type)
-
hund
[noun]
(a dog)
-
full
[adjective]
(full)
-
ja
[interjection]
-
förslag
[noun]
(a proposal)
-
utveckling
[noun]
(development)
-
ekonomisk
[adjective]
(economic)
-
region
[noun]
(region)
-
ihop
[adverb]
(together)
-
klara
[verb]
The word klara in Swedish has a triple meaning. As a verb, it can mean “to manage”, and as an adjective, it can mean either “clear” or “completed”.
-
namn
[noun]
(name)
-
starta
[verb]
(to start)
-
Malmö
[proper noun]
Malmö is the name of a major Swedish city.
-
skicka
[verb]
(to send)
-
förstå
[verb]
(to understand)
-
bo
[verb]
-
nå
[verb]
(to reach)
-
rolig
[adjective]
(funny)
-
utveckla
[verb]
(to develop)
-
titta
[verb]
(to look)
-
endast
[adverb]
(only)
-
behov
[noun]
-
stöd
[noun]
(support)
-
framför
[preposition]
-
tio
[numeral]
(ten)
-
drabba
[verb]
This Swedish verb essentially means “to affect” in a negative way. It is never used when referring to a positive effect.
-
fel
[adjective]
(wrong)
-
heller
[adverb]
-
myndighet
[noun]
(authority)
-
miljard
[noun]
-
sjukhus
[noun]
(hospital)
-
sex
[numeral]
(six)
-
positiv
[adjective]
(positive)
-
mamma
[noun]
-
Göteborg
[proper noun]
Göteborg is the name of a major Swedish city.
-
natt
[noun]
(a night)
-
tala
[verb]
(to speak)
-
söndag
[noun]
-
social
[adjective]
(social)
-
träffa
[verb]
(to meet)
-
enda
[adjective]
-
öppen
[adjective]
(open)
-
höst
[noun]
(autumn)
-
död
[noun]
(death)
-
mars
[noun]
(March)
-
klocka
[noun]
(clock)
-
dryg
[adverb]
-
meddela
[verb]
-
sakna
[verb]
(to miss)
-
var
[adverb]
(where)
-
framtid
[noun]
(future)
-
klubb
[noun]
(club)
-
genomföra
[verb]
-
planera
[verb]
(to plan)
-
äta
[verb]
(to eat)
-
ca
[adverb]
An abbreviation for the Swedish word “cirka”, which means “about” or “approximately”. It is used for rounding up or down numbers.
-
växa
[verb]
(to grow)
-
jämföra
[adjective]
-
bruka
[verb]
-
varandra
[pronoun]
(each other)
-
egentligen
[adverb]
(actually)
-
samla
[verb]
(to collect)
-
fredag
[noun]
-
tur
[noun]
-
politisk
[adjective]
(political)
-
spelare
[noun]
(player)
-
tack
[noun]
-
val
[noun]
-
läge
[noun]
-
produkt
[noun]
(product)
-
president
[noun]
(a president)
-
räkna
[verb]
(to count)
-
därmed
[adverb]
(thus)
-
ord
[noun]
-
möta
[verb]
(to meet)
-
röra
[verb]
(to move)
-
cirka
[adverb]
(about)
-
lördag
[noun]
-
vem
[pronoun]
(who)
-
spel
[noun]
(a game)
-
dela
[verb]
(to share)
-
stänga
[verb]
(to close)
-
rum
[noun]
(room)
-
testa
[verb]
-
torsdag
[noun]
(Thursday)
-
fylla
[verb]
(to fill)
-
vinna
[verb]
(to win)
-
politik
[noun]
(politics)
-
vacker
[adjective]
(beautiful)
-
ansvar
[noun]
(responsibility)
-
tag
[noun]
(a hold)
-
måndag
[noun]
-
krav
[noun]
(a requirement)
-
vård
[noun]
(care)
-
anledning
[noun]
(reason)
-
särskilt
[adverb]
(particularly)
-
tvinga
[verb]
(to force)
-
stanna
[verb]
(to stay)
-
speciell
[adverb]
-
samband
[noun]
(connection)
-
igenom
[preposition]
(through)
-
kontakt
[noun]
(a contact)
-
tisdag
[noun]
-
massa
[noun]
(a mass)
-
åtgärd
[noun]
(an action)
-
dags
[noun]
-
lycka
[verb]
-
rapportera
[verb]
(to report)
-
möte
[noun]
(meeting)
-
hamna
[verb]
(to end up)
-
ens
[adverb]
(even)
-
maj
[noun]
(May)
-
musik
[noun]
(music)
-
glad
[adjective]
(happy)
-
medlem
[noun]
(a member)
-
steg
[noun]
(a step)
-
svara
[verb]
(to reply)
-
bidra
[verb]
(to contribute)
-
roll
[noun]
(role)
-
färg
[noun]
(color)
-
april
[noun]
(April)
-
onsdag
[noun]
-
amerikansk
[adjective]
(American)
-
ned
[adverb]
(down)
-
ingå
[verb]
-
juni
[noun]
(June)
-
chans
[noun]
(chance)
-
tävling
[noun]
(a competition)
-
period
[noun]
(a period)
-
häst
[noun]
(a horse)
-
gilla
[verb]
(to like)
-
fantastisk
[adjective]
(fantastic)
-
internationell
[adjective]
(international)
-
patient
[noun]
(a patient)
-
konstatera
[verb]
(to ascertain)
-
Europa
[proper noun]
(Europe)
-
ljus
[noun]
(light)
-
främst
[adverb]
-
känsla
[noun]
(feeling)
-
presentera
[verb]
(to present)
-
meter
[noun]
-
förälder
[noun]
(a parent)
-
fri
[adjective]
(free)
-
ifrån
[preposition]
(from)
-
vit
[adjective]
-
slag
[noun]
-
byta
[verb]
-
driva
[verb]
-
januari
[noun]
(January)
-
marknad
[noun]
(market)
-
förening
[noun]
(association)
-
kraftig
[adverb]
-
sälja
[verb]
(to sell)
-
lägenhet
[noun]
(apartment)
-
tyvärr
[adverb]
(unfortunately)
-
igår
[adverb]
(yesterday)
-
kul
[adjective]
(fun)
-
utbildning
[noun]
(education)
-
däremot
[adverb]
(however)
-
Anders
[proper noun]
-
kris
[noun]
(crisis)
-
hotell
[noun]
(hotel)
-
Kina
[proper noun]
(China)
-
poäng
[noun]
(a point)
-
misstänkt
[adjective]
-
uppge
[verb]
(to state)
-
anställd
[noun]
(employee)
-
stat
[noun]
(a state)
-
annars
[adverb]
(otherwise)
-
restaurang
[noun]
(a restaurant)
-
lösning
[noun]
(solution)
This word is related to the verb “lösa” meaning “to solve”.
-
morgon
[noun]
(a morning)
-
butik
[noun]
-
ändra
[verb]
(to change)
-
september
[noun]
(September)
-
tillfälle
[noun]
(opportunity)
While the word tillfälle refers to a moment, it often represents an opportune moment, and in some contexts, it may even mean “chance” or “opportunity.” However, the word is always literally referring to a point in time.
-
omkring
[adverb]
(around)
-
digital
[adjective]
(digital)
-
pappa
[noun]
(dad)
-
boende
[noun]
(residence)
-
delta
[verb]
(to participate)
-
Johan
[proper noun]
-
igång
[adverb]
-
släppa
[verb]
(to release)
-
kropp
[noun]
(body)
-
liksom
[preposition]
-
skillnad
[noun]
(difference)
-
intresse
[noun]
(interest)
-
kyrka
[noun]
(a church)
-
effekt
[noun]
(effect)
-
blogg
[noun]
(blog)
This Swedish word is a borrowing of the English term “blog”. The double consonant is because Swedish spelling uses them to indicate that the preceding vowel is short.
-
besked
[noun]
(information)
-
tills
[conjunction]
(until)
-
exempelvis
[adverb]
(for example)
-
hemsida
[noun]
-
samarbete
[noun]
(cooperation)
-
pågå
[verb]
-
träna
[verb]
-
därefter
[adverb]
-
vår
[noun]
(spring)
-
rad
[noun]
-
stoppa
[verb]
(to stop)
-
ren
[adjective]
(clean)
-
besök
[noun]
(a visit)
-
kunskap
[noun]
(knowledge)
-
perfekt
[adjective]
(perfect)
-
avsluta
[verb]
(to cancel, to terminate)
-
övrig
[adjective]
(other)
-
brott
[noun]
-
Andersson
[proper noun]
-
dit
[adverb]
(there)
-
heta
[verb]
-
miljö
[noun]
(environment)
This is a word the Swedish language borrowed from French. The original French term is “milieu”.
-
oktober
[noun]
(October)
-
trevlig
[adjective]
(nice)
-
november
[noun]
(November)
-
känd
[adjective]
(known)
-
betyda
[verb]
(to mean)
-
augusti
[noun]
(August)
-
rapport
[noun]
(a report)
-
tidning
[noun]
(a newspaper)
-
alls
[adverb]
(at all)
-
december
[noun]
(December)
-
kolla
[verb]
(to check)
-
beskriva
[verb]
(to describe)
-
nej
[interjection]
-
uppdrag
[noun]
-
gemensam
[adjective]
(common)
-
ordförande
[noun]
-
inne
[adverb]
(in)
-
älska
[verb]
(to love)
For related words, see this article on Swedish love and dating phrases.
-
lösa
[verb]
(to solve)
-
o
[adverb]
-
normal
[adjective]
(normal)
-
tjänst
[noun]
(a service)
-
hantera
[verb]
(to manage)
-
sjuk
[adjective]
(sick)
-
uppleva
[verb]
(to experience)
The word uppleva is a combination of the Swedish adverb upp which means “up”, and the verb leva which means “to live”.
-
alternativ
[noun]
(alternative)
-
intressant
[adjective]
(interesting)
-
kostnad
[noun]
(cost)
-
ungefär
[adverb]
(approximately)
The Swedish adverb “ungefär” comes from the German adverb “ungefähr,” which has the same meaning.
-
bestå
[verb]
(to consist)
-
förutsättning
[noun]
-
nivå
[noun]
(level)
This Swedish word, despite its Scandinavian spelling, comes from the French word “niveau”.
-
bank
[noun]
(a bank)
-
varm
[adjective]
(warm)
This Swedish vocabulary word is almost identical to the corresponding English term. The difference in spelling is representative of a more general pattern: the letter ‘w’ is rarely used in Swedish.
-
råd
[noun]
-
allvarlig
[adjective]
(serious)
-
härlig
[adjective]
(lovely)
-
innehålla
[verb]
(to contain)
-
hittills
[adverb]
(so far)
-
besöka
[verb]
(to visit)
-
äga
[verb]
(to own)
-
regel
[noun]
(rule)
-
stund
[noun]
(while)
-
förlora
[verb]
(to lose)
-
tillgång
[noun]
-
besluta
[verb]
(to decide)
-
start
[noun]
(a start)
-
ond
[adjective]
(evil)
-
text
[noun]
(text)
-
hinna
[verb]
-
föra
[verb]
-
håll
[noun]
-
erfarenhet
[noun]
(experience)
-
februari
[noun]
(February)
-
system
[noun]
(a system)
-
spår
[noun]
-
strax
[adverb]
-
bekräfta
[verb]
(to confirm)
-
ringa
[verb]
-
bestämma
[verb]
(to determine)
-
hälsa
[noun]
(health)
-
förutom
[preposition]
(except)
-
sjukdom
[noun]
(disease)
-
sju
[numeral]
(seven)
-
såväl
[conjunction]
-
insats
[noun]
(a stake)
-
utredning
[noun]
(an investigation)
-
träning
[noun]
(exercise)
-
tanke
[noun]
(thought)
-
organisation
[noun]
(an organization)
-
skydda
[verb]
(to protect)
-
kommande
[adjective]
(coming)
-
mängd
[noun]
(an amount)
-
e
[adjective]
-
stiga
[verb]
(to rise)
-
publik
[noun]
(an audience)
-
rak
[adjective]
(straight)
-
material
[noun]
(a material)
-
förklara
[verb]
(to explain)
-
parti
[noun]
-
bero
[verb]
(to depend)
-
halv
[adjective]
(half)
-
skog
[noun]
(forest)
The most common words in a language also reflect the landscape of the countries that speak that language. The frequent use of the Swedish word “skog” (which means “forest”) aligns with the existence of vast forests in Sweden.
-
central
[adjective]
(central)
-
projekt
[noun]
(project)
-
siffra
[noun]
(a figure)
-
gräns
[noun]
(boundary, border)
-
modell
[noun]
(a model)
-
kosta
[verb]
(to cost)
-
be
[verb]
(to ask for, to pray)
-
ej
[particle]
This word may translate to “not”, but this isn’t the common word to use in casual speech. Instead, it is often seen on warning signs, labels, and more formal documents.
-
län
[noun]
(a county)
-
inlägg
[noun]
-
djup
[adjective]
-
fokus
[noun]
(a focus)
-
djur
[noun]
(animal)
The Swedish word “djur” has the same origin as the Danish word “dyr.” Both come from the Old Norse language and mean “animal.” If you visit the northern parts of Sweden you might see reindeer (but maybe not Santa Claus on a reindeer sleigh).
-
önska
[verb]
(to wish)
-
ena
[adjective]
-
kurs
[noun]
(course)
-
kritik
[noun]
(criticism)
-
privat
[adjective]
(private)
-
bostad
[noun]
-
Skåne
[proper noun]
This is the name of the most southern county of Sweden.
-
Peter
[proper noun]
-
mycken
[adjective]
(much)
-
a
[adverb]
-
klass
[noun]
(class)
-
juli
[noun]
-
ledning
[noun]
-
nöjd
[adjective]
-
vända
[verb]
(to turn)
-
förändring
[noun]
(change)
-
riskera
[verb]
(to risk)
-
aktiv
[adjective]
(active)
-
höja
[verb]
(to raise)
-
personlig
[adjective]
(personal)
-
liknande
[adjective]
(similar)
-
förbättra
[verb]
(to improve)
-
underbar
[adjective]
(wonderful)
-
förändra
[verb]
-
åtta
[numeral]
(eight)
-
självklar
[adjective]
-
rest
[noun]
(rest)
-
bred
[adjective]
(wide)
-
chef
[noun]
(manager)
-
räcka
[verb]
-
otrolig
[adverb]
-
hämta
[verb]
-
utföra
[verb]
(to perform)
-
oavsett
[adverb]
-
fatta
[verb]
(to take)
-
döma
[verb]
(to judge)
-
borta
[adverb]
(away)
-
avtal
[noun]
(agreement)
-
grov
[adjective]
-
mark
[noun]
(ground)
-
betydlig
[adverb]
-
ålder
[noun]
(age)
-
kr
[noun]
This is an abbreviation for “kronor”, directly translating to “crowns” but most commonly referring to the Swedish currency, SEK.
-
kontakta
[verb]
(to contact)
-
införa
[verb]
(to introduce)
-
kvartal
[noun]
(a quarter)
-
kraft
[noun]
(a force)
-
spännande
[adjective]
(exciting)
-
huvud
[noun]
(head)
-
sol
[noun]
(sun)
-
röst
[noun]
(voice)
-
Anna
[proper noun]
-
må
[verb]
(to may)
-
aktivitet
[noun]
(an activity)
-
leverera
[verb]
(to deliver)
-
fort
[adverb]
(fast)
-
tillräcklig
[adverb]
-
undvika
[verb]
(to avoid)
-
aktuell
[adjective]
-
tappa
[verb]
(to lose)
This is a Swedish verb with two possible meanings depending on the context. It can mean “to drop,” but it can also mean “to lose.” In the latter case, the noun referred to is usually not physical.
-
finna
[verb]
(to find)
-
koppla
[verb]
(to connect)
-
sova
[verb]
(to sleep)
-
nämligen
[adverb]
(namely)
-
sprida
[verb]
(to spread)
-
lärare
[noun]
(a teacher)
-
offentlig
[adjective]
(public)
This Swedish word comes from the German word “öffentlich”. German and Swedish are languages which share a number of similarities.
-
samtal
[noun]
(a call)
-
Johansson
[proper noun]
-
syfte
[noun]
(purpose)
-
eventuell
[adjective]
(possible)
-
beroende
[adjective]
(dependent)
-
tuff
[adjective]
(tough)
-
lyssna
[verb]
(to listen)
-
nationell
[adjective]
(national)
-
allmän
[adjective]
(public, general)
-
vän
[noun]
(a friend)
The Swedish word “vän” comes from the Old Norse word “vinr,” which is also the origin of the terms “venn” (in Norwegian) and “ven” (in Danish).
-
fira
[verb]
(to celebrate)
-
brist
[noun]
(lack)
-
utifrån
[preposition]
-
alldeles
[adverb]
-
absolut
[adverb]
(absolutely)
-
enskild
[adjective]
(individual)
-
Stefan
[proper noun]
-
teknik
[noun]
(a technique)
-
bjuda
[verb]
(to invite)
-
gott
[adverb]
(good)
-
kontroll
[noun]
(control)
-
kommentar
[noun]
(comment)
-
respektive
[adverb]
(respectively)
-
knappt
[adverb]
(hardly)
-
rädda
[verb]
(to save)
-
affär
[noun]
-
allra
[adverb]
-
snygg
[adjective]
(handsome)
-
född
[adjective]
(born)
-
grön
[adjective]
-
ungdom
[noun]
(youth)
-
negativ
[adjective]
(negative)
-
tips
[noun]
(a tip)
-
framåt
[adverb]
(forward)
-
Norge
[proper noun]
(Norway)
-
son
[noun]
(son)
-
relation
[noun]
-
buss
[noun]
(a bus)
The Swedish word “buss” resembles its English translation (“bus”). The only spelling difference is the double consonant in this Swedish word, which indicates that the preceding vowel is short. Because public transportation is well-developed in Sweden, it is not surprising that this is a common word.
-
försök
[noun]
(attempt)
-
rikta
[verb]
(to direct)
-
storlek
[noun]
(size)
-
iväg
[adverb]
(away)
-
global
[adjective]
(global)
-
svart
[adjective]
(black)
-
försäljning
[noun]
(a sale)
-
utställning
[noun]
(exhibition)
-
skäl
[noun]
-
hänga
[verb]
(to be suspended)
-
ensam
[adjective]
(alone)
-
lugn
[adjective]
-
inleda
[verb]
-
förskola
[noun]
-
natur
[noun]
(nature)
-
avstånd
[noun]
(a distance)
-
hoppa
[verb]
(to jump)
-
Danmark
[proper noun]
(Denmark)
Denmark is a neighboring country to Sweden and their languages are very similar. See this comparison of Swedish and Danish.
-
särskild
[adjective]
(special)
-
satsa
[verb]
(to invest)
-
Tyskland
[proper noun]
(Germany)
This word comes from the Swedish adjective “tysk” which means “German” combined with the word “land” which means “country”.
-
skön
[adjective]
(beautiful)
-
effektiv
[adjective]
(efficient)
-
värd
[adjective]
-
vuxen
[adjective]
(adult)
-
märka
[verb]
-
fysisk
[adjective]
(physical)
-
följd
[noun]
(sequence)
-
konsekvens
[noun]
(a consequence)
-
läkare
[noun]
(a doctor)
-
Spanien
[proper noun]
-
historia
[noun]
(history)
-
imorgon
[noun]
-
dels
[conjunction]
(partly)
-
ledare
[noun]
(a leader)
-
oro
[noun]
-
styra
[verb]
-
pressmeddelande
[noun]
(a press release)
-
publicera
[verb]
(to publish)
-
vänster
[noun]
-
universitet
[noun]
(university)
-
sjukvård
[noun]
-
dator
[noun]
(computer)
-
seger
[noun]
(victory)
-
dygn
[noun]
(day)
-
diskutera
[verb]
(to discuss)
-
uppmana
[verb]
-
sköta
[verb]
-
missa
[verb]
(to miss)
-
förstås
[adverb]
(of course)
-
inträffa
[verb]
(to occur)
-
undra
[verb]
(to wonder)
-
kvalitet
[noun]
(quality)
-
nio
[numeral]
(nine)
-
topp
[noun]
(top)
-
tung
[adjective]
(heavy)
-
undersökning
[noun]
(an investigation)
-
band
[noun]
(band)
-
nödvändig
[adjective]
(necessary)
The Swedish adjective “nödvändig” (which means “necessary”) comes from the German word “notwendig,” which has the same meaning.
-
värde
[noun]
(value)
-
vare
[conjunction]
-
agera
[verb]
(to act)
-
bit
[noun]
(bit)
-
unik
[adjective]
(unique)
-
våga
[verb]
(to dare)
-
placera
[verb]
(to place)
-
Gud
[proper noun]
(God)
-
upptäcka
[verb]
(to discover)
-
dörr
[noun]
(door)
-
behandling
[noun]
(treatment)
-
Lund
[proper noun]
-
ägare
[noun]
(owner)
-
byggnad
[noun]
(a building)
-
kör
[verb]
-
vinst
[noun]
(a profit)
-
hjärta
[noun]
(heart)
-
hållbar
[adjective]
(durable)
-
senast
[adverb]
-
sänka
[verb]
(to lower)
-
enbart
[adverb]
(only)
-
Uppsala
[proper noun]
Uppsala is the name of a Swedish city located near Stockholm and famous for its university.
-
kläder
[noun]
(clothes)
-
någonsin
[adverb]
(ever)
-
lyfta
[verb]
(to lift)
-
bryta
[verb]
(to break)
-
Nilsson
[proper noun]
-
populär
[adjective]
(popular)
-
teknisk
[adjective]
(technical)
-
naturlig
[adjective]
(natural)
-
fastighet
[noun]
(a property)
-
billig
[adjective]
(cheap, inexpensive)
-
numera
[adverb]
(nowadays)
-
befinna
[verb]
-
sträcka
[noun]
(a distance)
-
uppstå
[verb]
(to arise)
-
bedöma
[verb]
(to judge)
-
artikel
[noun]
(an article)
-
utgöra
[verb]
(to constitute)
-
omfattande
[adjective]
(comprehensive)
-
kärlek
[noun]
(love)
-
vardag
[noun]
-
falla
[verb]
(to fall)
-
ämne
[noun]
(subject)
-
kök
[noun]
(kitchen)
-
klassisk
[adjective]
(classical)
-
Finland
[proper noun]
(Finland)
Finland is a neighboring country to Sweden, but their languages are very different. See this comparison of Swedish and Finnish.
-
tal
[noun]
-
södra
[adjective]
(southern)
-
förhållande
[noun]
(relationship)
-
Erik
[proper noun]
-
funktion
[noun]
(function)
-
nyligen
[adverb]
(recently)
-
peka
[verb]
(to point)
-
hav
[noun]
(a sea)
Sweden has a long coastline along the Baltic Sea. That explains why the Swedish word “hav” (which means “sea”) is often used.
-
båt
[noun]
(a boat)
-
spara
[verb]
(to save)
-
föreslå
[verb]
(to propose)
-
rekommendation
[noun]
(a recommendation)
-
vinter
[noun]
(winter)
The Swedish word “vinter” resembles its English translation, “winter.” Words like this one, which are similar in both languages, contribute to making Swedish an easy language to learn (for English speakers).
-
bransch
[noun]
(an industry)
-
behandla
[verb]
(to treat)
-
köp
[noun]
-
fundera
[verb]
-
tjej
[noun]
(girl)
-
studie
[noun]
(a study)
-
dyr
[adjective]
(expensive)
-
nät
[noun]
-
gäst
[noun]
(a guest)
-
reda
[adverb]
-
anpassa
[verb]
(to adapt)
-
Frankrike
[proper noun]
(France)
-
ekonomi
[noun]
(economy)
-
enorm
[adjective]
-
forskning
[noun]
(research)
-
bakgrund
[noun]
(background)
-
idé
[noun]
(idea)
-
fart
[noun]
(speed)
-
fotboll
[noun]
(football)
-
tillhöra
[verb]
-
utmaning
[noun]
(a challenge)
-
säkerhet
[noun]
(security)
-
vikt
[noun]
(weight)
-
student
[noun]
(a student)
-
avgöra
[verb]
(to determine)
-
promenad
[noun]
(a walk)
The Swedish word “promenad” is a borrowing of the French word “promenade” (both terms refer to a leisurely walk or a stroll).
-
nedan
[adverb]
(below)
-
energi
[noun]
(energy)
-
debatt
[noun]
(a debate)
-
tysk
[adjective]
(German)
-
jul
[noun]
(Christmas)
-
deltagare
[noun]
(participant)
-
centrum
[noun]
(centre)
-
statlig
[adjective]
-
bilda
[verb]
(to form)
-
modern
[adjective]
(modern)
-
hit
[adverb]
(here)
-
Maria
[proper noun]
(Mary)
-
nyhet
[noun]
(news)
-
bana
[noun]
(path)
-
röd
[adjective]
(red)
-
jord
[noun]
(soil)
-
tävla
[verb]
(to compete)
-
å
[preposition]
-
rekommendera
[verb]
(to recommend)
-
katt
[noun]
(cat)
-
trafik
[noun]
(traffic)
-
lopp
[noun]
-
resurs
[noun]
(a resource)
-
design
[noun]
(a design)
-
ange
[verb]
(to indicate)
The Swedish verb ange is a shortened form of the German verb angeben from which it is derived.
-
flicka
[noun]
(a girl)
-
fixa
[verb]
(to fix)
-
dotter
[noun]
(daughter)
-
verklighet
[noun]
(reality)
-
naturligtvis
[adverb]
(of course)
-
ingenting
[pronoun]
(nothing)
-
avgörande
[adjective]
(decisive)
-
produktion
[noun]
(production)
-
kallad
[adjective]
(called)
-
makt
[noun]
(power)
-
minnas
[verb]
(to remember)
-
hot
[noun]
(a threat)
-
process
[noun]
(process)
-
nämna
[verb]
(to mention)
-
ben
[noun]
-
orsaka
[verb]
(to cause)
-
gata
[noun]
(street)
-
boll
[noun]
(a ball)
-
förvänta
[verb]
(to expect)
-
olycka
[noun]
(accident)
-
verk
[noun]
(a work)
-
plötslig
[adjective]
(sudden)
The Swedish adjective “plötslig” (which means “sudden”) comes from the German adverb “plötzlich” (which means “suddenly”). The corresponding adverb in Swedish is “plötsligt.”
-
historisk
[adjective]
(historical)
-
faktum
[noun]
(a fact)
The Swedish word “faktum” and the corresponding English word, “fact,” look similar. That’s because they both come from the Latin word “factum.”
-
förmåga
[noun]
(ability)
-
trygg
[adjective]
(safe)
The Swedish adjective “trygg” (safe) comes from Old Norse. Swedish also has the adjective “säker” which comes from Latin and can also mean “safe.”
-
lön
[noun]
(salary)
The Swedish word “lön” (salary) has the same origin as the corresponding Danish term, which is spelled “løn”. Both come from the Old Norse word “laun” (which exists in Icelandic with that same spelling).
-
skatt
[noun]
(tax)
-
hyra
[verb]
(to rent)
-
lunch
[noun]
(a lunch)
-
höger
[noun]
-
Fredrik
[proper noun]
-
pass
[noun]
(passport)
-
Per
[proper noun]
-
tåg
[noun]
(a train)
The Swedish word “tåg” means “train.” This is a frequently used word because Sweden, like many European countries, has a fairly extensive railway network connecting major cities. You can even travel from Sweden to Norway by train.
-
fördel
[noun]
(advantage)
-
säng
[noun]
(a bed)
-
motsvarande
[adjective]
(corresponding)
-
mörk
[adjective]
(dark)
-
telefon
[noun]
-
princip
[noun]
(principle)
-
trött
[adjective]
(tired)
-
kommunal
[adjective]
-
va
[adverb]
-
ikväll
[adverb]
(tonight)
-
kontrollera
[verb]
-
nuvarande
[adjective]
-
Kalmar
[proper noun]
Kalmar is a city in the southeast of Sweden near the Baltic Sea.
-
bidrag
[noun]
(a contribution)
-
plocka
[verb]
(to pick)
-
medarbetare
[noun]
(coworker)
-
lista
[noun]
(a list)
-
åter
[adverb]
(again)
-
tillfällig
[adjective]
(temporary)
-
synas
[verb]
(to appear)
-
frisk
[adjective]
(healthy)
-
mjuk
[adjective]
(soft)
-
tillgänglig
[adjective]
(available)
-
allmänhet
[noun]
(public)
-
innehåll
[noun]
(content)
-
norsk
[adjective]
(Norwegian)
-
äntligen
[adverb]
(finally)
-
befolkning
[noun]
(population)
-
upplevelse
[noun]
(an experience)
-
längs
[adverb]
-
låt
[noun]
(a song)
-
förlust
[noun]
(a loss)
-
stärka
[verb]
(to strengthen)
-
springa
[verb]
(to run)
-
tillverka
[verb]
(to manufacture)
-
kultur
[noun]
(culture)
-
omfatta
[verb]
(to include)
-
euro
[noun]
-
vars
[pronoun]
(whose)
-
hälft
[noun]
(half)
-
händelse
[noun]
(event)
-
Lars
[proper noun]
-
råda
[verb]
(to advise)
-
majoritet
[noun]
(majority)
-
scen
[noun]
(a scene)
-
vakna
[verb]
-
sort
[noun]
(sort)
-
kämpa
[verb]
(to fight)
-
hota
[verb]
(to threaten)
-
extrem
[adverb]
-
exakt
[adverb]
-
förbi
[adverb]
(past)
-
tillåta
[verb]
(to allow)
-
någonting
[adverb]
(anything)
-
program
[noun]
(a program)
-
skjuta
[verb]
(to shoot)
-
svag
[adjective]
(weak)
-
webbplats
[noun]
-
ökning
[noun]
(an increase)
-
tillstånd
[noun]
-
skönt
[adjective]
-
gratis
[adjective]
(free)
-
invånare
[noun]
(inhabitant, resident)
The Swedish word “invånare” comes from the German word “Einwohner.”
-
Ryssland
[proper noun]
(Russia)
-
snarare
[adverb]
(rather)
-
metod
[noun]
(a method)
-
rösta
[verb]
(to vote)
-
registrera
[verb]
(to register)
-
orka
[verb]
-
hår
[noun]
(hair)
-
spridning
[noun]
(spread)
-
middag
[noun]
-
aktör
[noun]
(an actor)
-
brand
[noun]
-
besökare
[noun]
-
bära
[verb]
(to wear)
-
grad
[noun]
(a degree)
-
annorlunda
[adverb]
(differently)
-
forskare
[noun]
(a researcher)
-
uppe
[adverb]
(up)
-
betydelse
[noun]
(meaning)
-
väcka
[verb]
(to wake up)
-
snö
[noun]
(snow)
The word for “snow” is not always among the most common words in every language. But in Swedish, it is, and that word is “snö.” The frequent use of this word in Swedish makes sense, given the amount of snowfall during the winter in Sweden.
-
satsning
[noun]
(investment)
-
Karlsson
[proper noun]
-
framöver
[adverb]
-
ständig
[adverb]
-
Daniel
[proper noun]
(Daniel)
-
sällan
[adverb]
(rarely)
-
tränare
[noun]
(a coach)
-
eftermiddag
[noun]
(afternoon)
-
leta
[verb]
(to search)
-
Storbritannien
[proper noun]
The first part of this word is the Swedish adjective “stor” which means “great”.
-
Italien
[proper noun]
(Italy)
-
diskussion
[noun]
(discussion)
-
varken
[conjunction]
(neither)
-
sekund
[noun]
(second)
-
tyckas
[verb]
(to seem)
-
ekonomin
[noun]
-
hävda
[verb]
(to claim)
-
luft
[noun]
(air)
-
ordentlig
[adverb]
This Swedish word comes from the German word “ordentlich”.
-
medborgare
[noun]
-
bord
[noun]
(a table)
-
färdig
[adjective]
(finished)
-
föda
[verb]
-
engelsk
[noun]
-
statistik
[noun]
(statistics)
-
service
[noun]
(service)
-
konstig
[adjective]
(weird)
-
Larsson
[proper noun]
-
serie
[noun]
(series)
-
allvar
[noun]
(seriousness)
-
Martin
[proper noun]
-
tingsrätt
[noun]
(a district court)
-
tacka
[verb]
(to thank)
-
kamp
[noun]
(a struggle)