WorbiCommon Swedish words to learn first
Start with the words you need every day: greetings like hej and tack, question words, and short sets for home, work, shopping, numbers, time and travel. Learn each noun with its article, such as ett hus or en dag, and add a handful of core verbs like vara, ha and gå.
Which Swedish words should you learn first?
Start with the words you will need this week. A list sorted by situation is more useful than a long alphabetical one, because each set lets you do something: greet a neighbour, find the bus, pay in a shop. The sets below are a practical starting point, not a frequency ranking.
Every noun is listed with its article. Learn ett hus, not just hus. If you are not sure why, read en or ett: how to know a Swedish noun's gender.
What are the first words for greetings and basics?
| Swedish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hej | hi, hello | Works almost everywhere, formal or not |
| tack | thanks, thank you | Also used when you accept something |
| ja | yes | |
| nej | no | |
| ursäkta | excuse me | To get past someone or get attention |
| förlåt | sorry | Literally forgive |
Which question words do you need?
Question words let you ask for help even when the rest of your Swedish is thin.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| vad | what |
| vem | who |
| var | where |
| när | when |
| varför | why |
| hur | how |
| vilken | which |
Which words do you need at home?
| Swedish | en or ett | English |
|---|---|---|
| hus | ett | house |
| lägenhet | en | flat, apartment |
| rum | ett | room |
| kök | ett | kitchen |
| säng | en | bed |
| bord | ett | table |
| stol | en | chair |
| dörr | en | door |
| fönster | ett | window |
| nyckel | en | key |
| familj | en | family |
| barn | ett | child |
| vän | en | friend |
Which words help at work or school?
| Swedish | en or ett | English |
|---|---|---|
| jobb | ett | job |
| arbete | ett | work |
| kollega | en | colleague |
| möte | ett | meeting |
| dator | en | computer |
| lön | en | salary, wages |
| skola | en | school |
| lärare | en | teacher |
| bok | en | book |
| fråga | en | question |
| svar | ett | answer |
What words do you need for shopping and food?
| Swedish | en or ett | English |
|---|---|---|
| affär | en | shop |
| butik | en | shop, small store |
| kassa | en | checkout, till |
| kvitto | ett | receipt |
| pengar | plural only | money |
| mat | en | food |
| bröd | ett | bread |
| mjölk | en | milk |
| vatten | ett | water |
| frukt | en | fruit |
| äpple | ett | apple |
| ägg | ett | egg |
| ost | en | cheese |
| kött | ett | meat |
How do you count in Swedish?
One has two forms: en with en-words and ett with ett-words. The other numbers never change.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| en, ett | one |
| två | two |
| tre | three |
| fyra | four |
| fem | five |
| sex | six |
| sju | seven |
| åtta | eight |
| nio | nine |
| tio | ten |
| tjugo | twenty |
| hundra | hundred |
Which words describe time?
| Swedish | en or ett | English |
|---|---|---|
| dag | en | day |
| vecka | en | week |
| månad | en | month |
| år | ett | year |
| timme | en | hour |
| minut | en | minute |
| tid | en | time |
| idag | today | |
| igår | yesterday | |
| imorgon | tomorrow | |
| nu | now |
Which words help you get around?
| Swedish | en or ett | English |
|---|---|---|
| buss | en | bus |
| tåg | ett | train |
| biljett | en | ticket |
| station | en | station |
| gata | en | street |
| bil | en | car |
Which verbs should you learn first?
Swedish verbs do not change with the person: jag är, du är, vi är. Learn the dictionary form and the present tense together and you can already say a lot.
| Swedish | Present tense | English |
|---|---|---|
| vara | är | to be |
| ha | har | to have |
| göra | gör | to do, to make |
| gå | går | to go, to walk |
| komma | kommer | to come |
| säga | säger | to say |
| vilja | vill | to want |
| kunna | kan | can, to be able to |
| äta | äter | to eat |
| dricka | dricker | to drink |
| bo | bor | to live (somewhere) |
| jobba | jobbar | to work |
| förstå | förstår | to understand |
How many words should you learn at a time?
There is no magic number. Pick one set, learn it until the words come back without effort, then add the next. A few new words every day that you actually review beat a long list you read once.
- Learn nouns with en or ett. It costs nothing extra now and saves relearning later.
- Use the words the same day. Say tack at the checkout, read the word kvitto on your receipt.
- Review on a schedule. Spaced repetition and FSRS explains how to review each word right before you would forget it.
Studying for SFI? The guide to vocabulary for SFI builds on these sets.
Make these into flashcards in Worbi
Type any word from these lists and Worbi fills in the translation, examples and inflections, then schedules each card so it comes back before you forget it.