is here to help you!
Being a teacher you often follow a standard structure and in class you talk about the word order, the plural endings, the indefinite and definite forms. the different tenses and then you talk about the word order again 
In a big group there is unfortunately not much time for individual questions, questions that everyone in the class would learn a lot from.
So now I want to know what questions you have! Challenge The Swedish Teacher!
The Swedish Teacher Blog
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I spend a lot of time sorting out time – not clock time – but things like next Sunday, last Sunday, on Sunday, every Sunday, etc. And of course, tomorrow, the day before yesterday, etc.
If this would be of interest to you, I’d like it.
Also, something on på and i, such as going to school (full time) and being physically in the building, etc.
Basic stuff, I know, but I need to master it.
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I know word order might be boring… but I cannot find anywhere an easy to understand explanation or chart…
Not just huvudstats, but I mean word order in a sentence when it starts with a question or bisats ord and combinations…and then of course the word order changes… but when does it change and why does it change.
I try and I try to understand. But it just is not happening for me!
I love reading your posts here and I wish there were more! (Yes I am greedy when I see a great thing!)
A good explanation of the nuts and bolts so to speak. I have completed SFI but I have to say that unfortunately I seem to have learned rules incorrectly or not really at all. And now I am struggling to get past the basic stage because I don’t understand how it works or how to construct the sentences and express what I want to say.
Thanks again for a great blog
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Trying to learn how to pronounce Swedish vowels without much success. Learing materials i have are partial or examples contradict examples or rules
are contradicted by actual Swedish spoken.
Pronunciation of the vowel letter A and E both long and short are clear, but what if the letters are at the end of a word or are followed by another vowel. How would they be expressed in both cases?
Letter I long is clear.
Short is clear ie as in-English i for is. But seems to be contradicted by the pronunciation of Words with short vowels such as avist and titta, where the i sounds like ee-as in the pronunciation of the long vowel I. Which is correct?
Letter å-As long-i have 8 examples of aw as in the English Saw ie nått
and 7 examples of oe as in the English toe-ie båt or bråk-which one is correct
å-Short i have been informed that it is pronounced as aw as in the English Saw-is this correct?
Vowel o-i have been told by various sources that this is pronounced as-oe as in the English Toe-or as aw as in the English Saw-or as oo as in the English book-which if any are correct please?Thanks
U-long and short i have as oo as in the English book-Is this correct?Thanks
Vowel letter-Y-I have been informed that both long and short are pronounced as EE- as in the English See-Is this correct?Thanks.
Vowel letter-ä-I have long as ah as in the English star. Short i have ä as being pronounced as the English EH as in End.Are these sounds correct?Thanks once again.
Vowel letter ö as long vowel ihave been informed is pronounced similar to the
English aw sound as in the English word saw-alternatively as the English sound oe as in the English toe or boat.-Alternatively i have this as the English
sound oo as in the English word book.Which if any is correct?
Vowel sound ö short- ihave as sounding like the the English Uh as in the English summer. Againg is this correct?
If i can’t attain definitive answers to these questions, i cannot learn Swedish.
Thanks in advace for any attempt to help. It is appreciated.
Kind Regards
James
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Wow, talk about rising to a challenge! Your last post on time, as relates to when something happens, will happen or has happened really hit the nail on the head!
Its great!
But of course, now that I know when something has happened, that brings up where!
I am confusing myself today with directions – North as a noun, north as an adjective, adverb, etc.
I can’t sort out norr, nord, nordlig, norra, etc.
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Again, the timing couldn’t be better – I’ll take my SFI 3C exam at the end of the month – your word order post breaks a tough subject into easy parts.
I’m currently trying to figure out the Swedish equivalents of should, could, would, may, etc.
I think that you will have the makings of a good book here!
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Hi Sara,
Your are an absolute star! I have 101 books and none of them explain the grammer so well (or with such good humor) as you do!
One thing which I’m a little confused with is when to use ‘Kommer att’ or ’ska’? Nobody has really clarified this in our lessons.
Thanks a million for this blog and keep up the amazung work!!
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I have a question on the use of för before words and what is the difference for example between “delar” and “fördelar” or “ändrar” and “förandrar”….?
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Hi hi,
Could you have a section explaining the different phrases for time? I’ve notice that in english we have “time”. . and in Swedish there’s , gång, timmer, dags, tid. . . so on. I feel like there might be more. But can you explain the different situations each word is used?
thanks so much! I love this blog by the way. It really gets into the nitty gritty parts of understanding and using swedish.
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Hi,
Just had a lesson on how to use Nog, Väl and Ju, but my teacher was no very clear on what is the meaning of them. She said it was impossible to traslate them directly to swedish. Nevertheless, I believe there should be some kind of rule or at lest trend, rather than just doing it by “feeling” as my teacher said.
Well, this is another little challenge
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Hej K!
Thank you for challenge
I have a post on here about “ju” : http://www.thelocal.se/blogs/theswedishteacher/category/grammar/adverbials/
I will absolutealy look into “väl” and “nog” one day!
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Hey there,
Your information has been really helpful thankyou so much!
I’ve just about got my head around the sin, sina, sitt versus hans, hennes, subject and object rule (currently at stage C2 of högskolprovet with SFI). Dont understand this one though:
1. HAR DU TRÄFFAT HANS FRU
Who is the subject here, you or his wife? Surely you are the one meeting so you are the subject and his wife is an object so wouldnt it be sin fru?
Really appreciate your help
cheers
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Actually, I think I just got it. The rule doesnt apply if we are talking about a 3rd party ‘he’ are we?? Its his (over there’s) wife not the wife of any subject directly in the sentence?
either way your feedback would greatly help!
cheers
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Sorrrry me again. One more:
Jag ska gå ut med min fru och hennes bror ikvall.
I understand the huvudsats. Wife is the object in that so ‘min’ but in the bisats isnt the brother a object too?
Many thanks!
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Exactly Alex, you have understood perfectly right. One thing to emember is that there is never possible to use sin/sitt/sina when the subject of the clause is “jag”, “du”, “vi” or “ni”. Saying that should also solve your problem with “Jag ska gå ut med min fru och hennes bror i kväll.”The sentence only contains a huvudsats (no bisats) in which “jag” is the subject and “min fru och hennes bror” are the objects. None of the objects refer to a “han”, “hon” or “de” subject and can therefore not be “sin”. I hope I was able to explain that clear enough. Let me know if not
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I follow swedish evening classes for adults at the scandinavian institute in Groningen (the Netherlands). We are all 1st years and only have lessons once a week, but our teacher is swedish and very good. I am getting to grips with sin,sitt & sina and find your site a great help. Tip for anyone out there: I am (trying!) to read a book in swedish called “Isprinsessan” and while I am reading I listen to the audio version on my ipod (download). Helps a great deal with understanding and pronounciation. .
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Great idea Wendy! I often recommend students to do what you are describing. Thank you for contributing!
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Hi
If two or more nouns are added together to make one larger word, will that word always take the gender of the last of the individual nouns?
(I hope you like this question since it can be answered with a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’!)
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Rod: the answer is “yes”. Or, “ja”.
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Thank you, Swedish Teacher.
I have just been studying your post on modal auxiliary verbs, and very good it is too.
I believe where I grew up we used the verb ‘hinner’, though we didn’t know it’s origin. We also used ‘braw’ to mean ‘bra’.
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I have a couple of questions and ideas for posts:
Could you explain the the correct inflection of adjectives that describe singular masculine definite nouns? I can’t seem to find a concise answer anywhere. And how is this related to ‘rätte,’ as in ‘Låt den rätte komma in?’
I have read that present participles cannot be used as gerunds, but then I came across this sentence and now I’m confused: ‘Det är mitt myckna gående den sista veckan som gjort att jag dragit på mig blåsor på fötterna.’
I guess I’m a grammar freak, but I think a post on the subjunctive mood would be enlightening.
Could you explain the different usages of the word ‘klart?’
Any tips more tips on satsmelodi would be awesome.
Thanks! Your blog rocks.
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I am a VERY frustrated swedish student studying in G”borg!
Despite the fact that I have been at this for 2 years or so now- I remain clueless all the time.
1st-
I have a basic question:
Explain when you use “komma att ” and “ska”. I’m running along forever here using “ska” and realize suddenly everyone uses “komma att” this and that all the time( flew right over MY head!) There seem to be a million idiomatic phrases for “komma att”- help!
and a more COMPLEX question:
HOW the HECK do you BUILD a vocabulary in this language? Irrespective of all the other words in this language, I have been two years fighting to try to remember the “be-” words and the “för-” words – as I call them!
( t.ex: betala, bestämma, beredda,etc and försöka,försatt,förlora, etc!!!!)
I am sorry, but they all sound exactly the same to me and when someone uses one when asking me a question( which is quite often)- I freeze!
HELP! GIve me some tips. Those words ALONE are going to kill me. If anyone can help- I’m sure it’s you!
I LOVE YOUR BLOG! IT is about the only thing that makes any sense!
thanks!!!
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Hej Karen,
I’m sorry about your frustration. The fact is that many students are more frustrated after some time learning the language than they are in the beginning. When you teach beginner students they are happy and content over almost every word they learn, while the intermediate and advanced students often feel that they aren’t getting anywhere. But of course you and other post-beginner students are getting somewhere, it is just not as noticeable and easy to measure. I also think that you, and all other frustrated students out there, shouldn’t be so hard on themselves. Learning a language above tourist level takes time, a lot of time. I’ve been learning English since 4th grade and am still making “stupid” (or maybe “human”) mistakes.
About your question on vocabulary, there are as you know many, many word starting with be- and för-. This be- and för- doesn’t have a special meaning (and are therefore also unstressed prefixes) so there isn’t really any point trying to sort them or creating some system for remembering them. It would be like opening a dictionary trying to learn all words beginning with “a”, then “b” and so on. Try to instead remember the words from the context. it can also be good to learn verbs, nouns and adjectives together, “försöka” for example, you also learn “ett försök”. Another thing to think of when it comes to the “be-” and “för-”words is to listen more closely to the rest of the word, as that should be the stressed part of the word and therefore what gives you the meaning. “Förlora” sounds something like “flooora” or maybe “fölooora” .
Your simple question is also more simple to answer so I will put up a post on that.
Sara the Swedish Teacher
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Hej Sara,
Thanks for the post ‘More about “ordföljd” ‘. I can’t thank you enough!
Will you be writing a post about subjunctions? I hope you will.
Also, thank you for the quiz ‘past tense of 50 common verbs’. Sara, you make learning verbs fun, and I like the certificate you made with the test results.
I would be very happy and thankful if you could make another similar quiz of the next 50 common verbs. I so hope you will. Please do.
Sara, you have been a great help to me. Thanks again for writing such brilliant posts.
Justin (in London).
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@Justin: I’ve put up two quizzes on past tense of verbs. Enjoy!
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I would like to see more about when to use the following:
om året
i året
på året
varje året
under året
I’m in SFI, and my teacher explained to me, in Swedish, and I’m still confused.
I really depend on your blog to help clear things up! Thank you for doing it!
Kat
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Is this still a good thread? I go to Sweden this summer, 2012. I’ve been reading newspapers (still struggling) and I’m at that stage in language learning where missing just one word can change a whole sentence!
For example, words that negate. . .I need help looking for just what the “inte” goes with in word order.
Also, there are little “clues” in words which, when learned, are amazing shortcuts, such as what it means when o- is put at the beginning of a word. Are there more quickly-learned pointers to meaning like that?
Tack
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Hej Michigan Lady,
Thanks for posting this interesting question! I’ll get back to you soon with an answer
Sara
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