Start with the Swedish basics
Swedish is friendly to English speakers. Start with the building blocks so you can greet people, order coffee, and introduce yourself. Learn how letters map to sounds, the most common phrases, and a simple sentence pattern. Mastering these basics early gives you momentum.
Cover these first and you’ll handle most beginner situations. Don’t try to learn it all at once—repeat in short daily minutes.
- Alphabet, especially Å, Ä, Ö
- Essential phrases: hej, tack, ursäkta
- Numbers 0–20 and time
- Simple order: Subject–Verb–Object (Jag heter Sam.)
Your first 30 minutes study plan
Short, focused sessions beat marathon cramming. Use this 30-minute routine to learn Swedish efficiently online. Keep notes, say everything out loud, and track what to review tomorrow. If 30 minutes is too much, do 10–15; consistency matters more than total time.
- 0–5 minutes: quick review of yesterday
- 5–12 minutes: new words (8–10) with audio
- 12–18 minutes: short dialogue, shadow the speaker
- 18–25 minutes: basics grammar point in context
- 25–30 minutes: mini quiz + write 3 sentences
Pronunciation and melody
Pronunciation is where small effort pays off fast. Swedish has clear vowels and a musical rhythm. Get these right early so natives understand you, even with limited vocabulary. Focus on sound length and the sing-song melody rather than spelling alone.
Record yourself and compare to native audio. A few focused minutes per day go a long way.
- Long vs short vowels (glas vs glass)
- The sj‑sound (as in “sju”)—practice with audio
- Retroflex sounds: rt, rd, rn, rs blend
- Sentence stress: content words high, function words light
Grammar that beginners actually need
Skip heavy theory at first. Learn only the grammar you need to say practical things. Swedish is regular and forgiving: verbs don’t change for person, and word order is predictable. Learn patterns with examples you can reuse in all everyday contexts.
Keep a tiny “grammar bank” and add one new pattern every few days.
- Nouns: en/ett (common vs neuter) + simple plurals
- Present tense: add -r (jag bor, du talar)
- Definite forms attach to nouns (boken, huset)
- V2 word order: verb comes second (Idag går jag.)
Free resources to learn Swedish online
Use a mix of input, speaking, and quick checks. Many high-quality tools are free. Combine an app for drills, a dictionary for clarity, a short video for listening, and a printable PDF for offline review. Save everything you like in one folder.
- Download a free PDF cheat sheet: alphabet, numbers, phrases
- A Swedish–English online dictionary with audio
- YouTube mini-lessons for A1–A2 dialogues
- Parallel texts with slow audio for reading
- Spaced-repetition flashcards you review in minutes
FAQ
- How long does A1–A2 Swedish usually take?
- With 30 focused minutes per day, many learners reach A1 in 6–8 weeks and A2 in about 4–6 months. Your pace depends on daily consistency, active speaking, and review. Add a weekly longer session (60–90 minutes) to accelerate progress.
- Is Swedish hard for English speakers?
- Not especially. Vocabulary overlaps with English and grammar is fairly simple. The main hurdles are pronunciation (vowel length, melody) and word stress. Practice out loud, shadow short clips, and you’ll sound clearer quickly—even as a beginner.
- Do I need a textbook, or can I learn online for free?
- You can learn entirely online for free using beginner courses, YouTube, and a dictionary. A structured textbook or a printable PDF guide can help you organize topics. Pick one main path and supplement with short videos and flashcards.
- What should I study every day as a beginner?
- Rotate: 10 new words with audio, a short dialogue you repeat, one small grammar pattern, and quick writing (3 sentences). Review yesterday’s items first. Keep all notes in one place and revisit tough words until they stick.
- How can I start speaking if I only know the basics?
- Build micro-scripts for real situations: greeting, ordering, introducing yourself, asking for prices. Memorize and practice them for a few minutes daily. Then swap words (coffee/tea, Göteborg/Stockholm) to create many useful variations fast.