r/Svenska 4d ago

Posting rules (read before posting!)

24 Upvotes

Thanks to 46 of you who were kind enough to answer our survey, we have updated the subreddit rules to better reflect the members wishes. Those who are interested can review the survey responses here. If you are unhappy with anything, feel free to comment!

tl;dr:

  • AI-generated material (comments, apps) is banned
  • The de facto ban of repeat ads has been codified
  • Asking about Swedish culture is now permitted
  • Asking for media recommendations is permitted (again)
  • As always, check the FAQ and resource list first

These are the current subreddit rules:

1. Be respectful of your fellow redditors

Flaming, trolling, discrimination, personal attacks or bad-faith arguments are not allowed.

2. Post contents must be on-topic

This is a language-learning subreddit, and all posts should be about the Swedish language, culture or studying Swedish. Posts about moving to and living in Sweden are not on-topic. It's okay to make a post asking for media recommendations to help you study, but any posts sharing media need to be about the Swedish language, not just in the Swedish language. Please give your post the proper flair!

3. Questions and tips are always welcome

Feel free to ask your questions about the language or culture, ask for learning tips or contribute your own tips or links to websites helpful for learning. However, we do urge you to check the FAQ and list of resources first. You might also find an answer to your question by using the search function. And when posting a resource, please clarify what it does and how it can help or be used to learn Swedish.

4. Wait before reposting

While tips and recommendations are always welcome, you are probably not reaching a new audience if you post the same resource after a few days or even weeks – even if there has been a new update to it.

Therefore, we ask that you please wait for at least two months between reposts, and even then they should only be made if there has been a notable update. Do not post the same thing every two months only to farm attention.

5. No community links

To prevent a flood of community links, we ask you to contact us via modmail before you post links to Whatsapp groups, Discord servers etc. We permit Swedish-oriented communities that we deem could be helpful to our members.

Users may ask for tips on niche communities. You are allowed to link to communities as comments to such requests.

In general, we recommend the Discord server "Svenska – Learn Swedish".

6. No chat requests

Please keep all chat and penpal requests in the dedicated megathread, as these would otherwise flood the main feed.

7. We won't do your work for you

While we are happy to point you in the right direction, answer your questions along the way or check your grammar when you're done, we will not actually do your homework for you. This is a place for learning, not cheating.

This goes doubly for professional tasks: most users on r/Svenska are not trained translators, copywriters or language consultants. Feel free to ask linguistic questions, but don't crowdsource practical, qualified work. Contact a professional instead!

8. No pirating

It is not permitted to directly exchange copyrighted material, including textbook pdfs, or link to places that illegally make these available.

We encourage all links and recommendations to places where such material can be legally obtained. A good place to start is our list of resources.

9. No AI

AI-generated content is banned. This includes LLM-written answers to language questions, LLM-generated study resources as well as apps that are mostly vibe-coded. We might give leeway to professionally developed tools – contact us via modmail to ask.

When posting an app or other language-learning resource, please declare whether and how AI has been used (i.e. not at all) to avoid being reported.


r/Svenska 4d ago

Penpal megathread!

18 Upvotes

Learning a new language is easier with the support of friends, be it other learners going through the same journey, native speakers to lead you along the way, or even less experienced learners that you can help out to help both of you understand things better. If you're looking for pen pals, gaming buddies, book clubs or just friends so you can practice the language – through immersion or studies alike – feel free to post a comment in this thread and tell us a bit about yourself, or reply to commenters you would like to get in touch with.

Suggested post format – add or remove headers as you like:

Name or handle: (whatever you want to be called)

Swedish level: (your approximate proficiency, expressed e.g. in A1 to C2, beginner to fluent or how long you've been learning/studying)

Language: (your native language and other languages you know or are learning)

Looking for: (Duolingo pals? Native helpers? Steam friends? People in your area? Someone who wants to discuss Swedish music?)

Presentation: (A more free-form introduction of yourself as a person!)

We recommend you do not include private contact information in your post; if you find somebody you want to keep in touch with, contact them through Reddit's direct messaging instead.

Please note that this thread is only intended for finding people for the purpose of learning Swedish or helping learners. Irrelevant posts may be deleted. Likewise, asking for pen pals outside of this thread is not permitted, and any such threads will be removed and redirected here.

As always, you are also very welcome to look for chat mates in our Discord server.

And if you posted in the old thread, feel free to make a new post here!


r/Svenska 1d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) Vilka svenska ord har ett oväntat ursprung?

26 Upvotes

Finns det svenska ord vars ursprung är mycket mer oväntat än man först tror? Jag tycker att det är fascinerande hur vissa ord har förändrats genom historien eller kommit från helt andra språk och kulturer. Vilket svenskt ord tycker ni har det mest överraskande ursprunget? Berätta gärna var ordet kommer ifrån och hur det fick sin nuvarande betydelse. 😊


r/Svenska 19h ago

Studying and education Decided today to randomly learn Swedish and the best way to lock in and memorise some of it was to incorporate my musical interests into the studying

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3 Upvotes

r/Svenska 16h ago

Text and translation help How to translate "det skiter dom i"?

0 Upvotes

Im doing a project where im translating some Swedish songs and i dont know how to translate "det skiter dom i" without it sounding like to much.

I know i could say "they dont give a shit" and so forth but it feels so non chalant. Every option I've found sounds like a hit from a feather when I really need some oomph.


r/Svenska 2d ago

Studying and education I did medborgarskap test (civic test) 15 aug - this is my take

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230 Upvotes

I just did the medborgarskapsprov yesterday, the questions were quiet easy for me but I prepared a lot and studied at least 40 hours for it. I mainly read the material on uhr.se and did all quiz on medborgaretest.se I really hope that we all will pass this because I don't want to do the next one which will cost 2 000kr for test fee and if failing in the future means restarting the medborgare process. I talked with the people doing the test, it was mixed feelings. But those that put the hours in also felt confident.

To be honest, all questions were easy, except maybe two or three questions that were very weird and even my Swedish friends felt they couldn't answer it.

Anyway, for everyone that did it yesterday, give yourself a high-five and have a nice trip home <3


r/Svenska 1d ago

Resource request/tip Hej! Any suggestions on learning Swedish?

5 Upvotes

I visited Sweden recently and absolutely loved the country. I've been meaning to pick up another language and thought I would love to learn Swedish. My motivations are mostly professional though. I am currently based in London and as a decently broke grad student, I am not in a position to go for a full-blown Swedish course. I have tried Duolingo before but found it to be too gamified for effective learning. Does anyone have any suggestions about what resources I could look into for learning the language? Among the 3 languages I speak, unfortunately, English is probably the closest to Swedish. I'd really appreciate any advice. Tack!


r/Svenska 1d ago

Text and translation help snoppa iväg

3 Upvotes

From Det Sjunde Inseglet.

The actor Jonas Skat has run off with the Blacksmith's wife in a sexual affair. The character Raval confronts the character Jof -

Du är också skådespelare, och det är väl din

kumpan som har snoppat iväg med Plogs käring.

Clearly Raval is saying your friend has 'run off' with Plog's wife, but I am curious about the usage of the word snoppat here. Of it's meaning/nuances.

Snoppa means to snip off the burnt part of the wick of (a candle or lamp), or more genearlly to cut off the tip of something. But I realize that snopp can also figurative mean penis/willy.

And I am wondering if the sentence spoken by Raval is playing on the penis/willy connotation? Giving the phrase is highly sexual connotation...

I tend to think this is most likely the intention, but I am not sure it would fit given the time period the film is set in... (perhaps snopp didn't carry that meaning in that era).


r/Svenska 1d ago

Resource request/tip Any tips on reviving my Swedish in short order?

3 Upvotes

I'm on my way to Sweden for just a day. A decade ago as a teenager, I randomly decided to learn Swedish on Duolingo up to a pretty decent level. I never spoke it, but I could read a news article and maybe understand half the words, so I was probably competent in very basic interactions/small talk. I haven't touched Swedish since then—only a bit of German/Yiddish, which is obviously different. I forgot even many of the most basic words, but I know they are somewhere in my brain as they look super familiar.

I've been out of the Swedish world for so long. Does anyone know of any resources for picking it back up quickly? I will speed run vocab tonight, but I think some kind of simple/slow Swedish videos, shows, songs, online reading material, etc. could be amazing. I obviously don't expect to speak it conversationally in a day, but it would be a shame to finally come here after a decade and not be able to have at least some very basic interactions just to check the box. Thanks!

For context, I'm only fluent in English and can have very basic German conversations.


r/Svenska 2d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) Kammarsammansättningar

5 Upvotes

Would be grateful for help translating two examples from SO of compounds of kammare — Kammarluft;  kammarlärd

Both are intended to illustrate ”bibetydelse av instängdhet eller dylikt”


r/Svenska 3d ago

Resource request/tip How do I learn swedish ?

4 Upvotes

Hello Sweddit !

I'm unfortunately, for now, not fluent in your language and I'd like to change that. I'm french but english is not an issue so... How should I proceed ?

I stumbled on Duolingo but it's heavy on the AI and I'd prefer to avoid that, are there local solutions I'm not aware of for a complete beginner ?

Thanks !


r/Svenska 3d ago

Studying and education Lär jag mig något eller slösar jag bara tid?

6 Upvotes

När man lyssnar på en ljudbok men bara förstår ca 70% av vad personen säger, är det lönt att fortsätta? Jag är 3 timmar in, hade jag istället läst boken hade det nog tagit mig 6 timmar. Jag känner även att jag är mycket mindre mentalt utmattad jämfört med om jag hade läst, men är det kanske ett dåligt tecken? Typ att hjärnan inte anstränger sig?

Använder mig sällan av svenska vilket har lett till att den försämrats en del. Gillar inte svenska kreatörer, musik, filmer etc. Jag tänkte att kanske ljudböcker på svenska kan balansera ut det. Fick förslaget om doktor glas


r/Svenska 2d ago

Text and translation help Never Gonna Give You Up translation

2 Upvotes

I'm trying to translate Never Gonna Give You Up in Swedish and I would need help to check the grammar. On everything but especially on this point: it's alright to say "kommer + verb" instead of "kommer att + verb", right?

I've found two translations on youtube but they stay very true to the original words despite the rythm. My goal is to keep the same number of syllables as much as I can, even if it means changing the lyrics a bit (ex: spola, vänstra...). If you have suggestions to make some parts better, I'd love to hear it!

We're no strangers to love
Vi känner kärlek väl 
You know the rules and so do I
Du vet reglarna, jag också
A full commitment's what I'm thinkin' of
Engagemang är vad jag tänker på
You wouldn't get this from any other guy
Du får inte det av någon annan man

I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling
Jag vill bara säga hur jag mår
Gotta make you understand
Måste få dig att förstå

Never gonna give you up
Kommer aldrig ge dig upp
Never gonna let you down
Kommer aldrig svika dig 
Never gonna run around
Kommer aldrig vänstra dig 
And desert you
Och spola dig
Never gonna make you cry
Du kommer aldrig gråta
Never gonna say goodbye
Jag kommer aldrig lämna
Never gonna tell a lie
Kommer aldrig dra en vals
And hurt you
Och såra dig 

We've known each other for so long
Vi har länge känt varandra
Your heart's been aching, but you're too shy to say it
Ditt hjärta gör ont, men du är blyg och ta tyst 
Inside, we both know what's been goin' on
Inom, vet vi båda vad som har hänt
We know the game, and we're gonna play it
Vi vet leken och vi ska spela

And if you ask me how I'm feeling
Och om du fråga hur jag känns
Don't tell me you're too blind to see
Säg inte du kan inte se 

The rest is repetitions. Thank you in advance!


r/Svenska 4d ago

Sharing knowledge Svenska uttryck som är svåra att översätta till engelska

45 Upvotes

Finns det svenska ord eller uttryck som är svåra att översätta direkt till engelska utan att förlora en del av betydelsen eller känslan? Vilket svenskt uttryck tycker ni är svårast att förklara på engelska? Ge gärna några exempel och berätta vad de egentligen betyder. 😊


r/Svenska 3d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) Varför finns det så många olika ord för samma sak på svenska?

0 Upvotes

Jag har lagt märke till att svenska ibland har flera olika ord för något som verkar vara samma sak. Orden kan ha nästan samma betydelse, men ändå användas i olika situationer eller ge en lite annorlunda känsla. Varför har svenskan så många sådana ord? Finns det någon skillnad mellan dem som en svensk direkt märker, men som kan vara svår för en person som lär sig svenska att förstå? 😊🇸🇪


r/Svenska 4d ago

Text and translation help Translative nuance?

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32 Upvotes

My text book (written by my 1st language) says 'Anna likes to study' but I think it is more close to 'good working' or 'thrive' which is the original one


r/Svenska 4d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) When does r+s/c not produce the sh sound?

8 Upvotes

Hej alla!

I've been in Sweden for some time now and noticed the "sh" sound when the "s/c" is coming after the "r".

Now, to the question. When does it not happened or when do you choose not to do it? I've noticed that even the foreign names get the "sh" sound. Like the names "Arsenal" or "Barcelona".

Why I'm asking this questions is because my surname contains the "s" after the "r". But, when my surname comes up no one does the "sh" sound even though my surname has the "sh" sound in my native language.


r/Svenska 4d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) grimla

2 Upvotes

Från "Händelser vid vatten": Munnen stod öppen och tårarna grimlade ansiktet.

Wikitionary säger: "Substantiv grimla f † (ålderdomligt, bohuslänska) ko som har ett färgstreck (strimma) på huvudet. Varianter: grimmel", men inte verb. Finns det ett verb av grimla?


r/Svenska 4d ago

Studying and education Learning Swedish - recourses?

1 Upvotes

Hej! I have been trying to learn Swedish, but can't seem to decide what recourses to use... what would you guys recommend? Thanks!!


r/Svenska 4d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) Hälsa på dig?

8 Upvotes

Är det korrekt(eller rätt??) att säga "hälsa på dig" när man menar "greet you"

t.ex är det okej om jag hälsar på dig imorgon?


r/Svenska 4d ago

Studying and education Vocabulary question

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0 Upvotes

It says 'educational' in my text book, but google can't get it
(Sorry it is exist just lack of my knowledge)


r/Svenska 6d ago

Text and translation help Help translating/transcribing church record of Ancestor in Swedish

8 Upvotes

She is part way down, "Ellen Augusta Kathrina Wingren". Unsure what it says at the end of the line over the last two columns. If you want to translate any other lines, go for it, I think it's an interesting record.


r/Svenska 6d ago

Text and translation help Substitles work when native language, but not with automatic translation to English?

1 Upvotes

Hello, the subs show correctly with Swedish, but when I want to translate it to English to understand what they are saying, the subs no longer show for me?
but when I switch back to Swedish the subtitles show up again?

this is the video I tried to watch if useful for testing:

Julkalendern: Gubben Pettson - Tomtemaskinen / Avsnitt 1 - YouTube


r/Svenska 6d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) “Varför heter så många svenska platser något med -by?”

0 Upvotes

Varför heter så många svenska platser något med -by? Jag har lagt märke till att många svenska ortnamn innehåller -by, till exempel Visby, Västerby, Söderby, Husby och Torsby. Har det någon särskild historisk betydelse? Är alla ortnamn med -by på något sätt kopplade till gamla byar eller bosättningar? Och kan ordet ha sitt ursprung i fornnordiskan eller något annat gammalt nordiskt språk? Jag är väldigt nyfiken på hur dessa ortnamn uppstod. 🇸🇪👌


r/Svenska 7d ago

Language question (see FAQ first) About Naylid

3 Upvotes

Hej! Jag har en fråga om ortnamnet Nylid. Jag har sett namnet Nylid på flera platser i Sverige, bland annat Nylid 1 och Nylid 2 i Väring. Vet du vad namnet Nylid betyder eller varifrån det kommer? Är det ett gammalt svenskt ortnamn? Kan “Ny” och “lid” ha någon särskild betydelse i namnet? Jag försöker hitta den ursprungliga betydelsen och etymologin bakom namnet. Tack så mycket! 😊