Learning to understand, speak, and think in a different language is an amazing and fulfilling process. When we learn a foreign language, not only do we add a new skill to our repertoire, but we also change the very way we see and think about the world and our relationship to it.  If you’re considering taking up Swedish, you’ve likely asked these questions at some point: How long will it take to learn Swedish? And is it worth the commitment? We’ll get to the first question in a bit. As for the second question: Absolutely!  Did you know, for example, that if you learn Swedish you’ll also be able to understand Norwegian and Danish? This will open up the whole Scandinavian world to you! Three languages for the price of one!  ... Show more

Proverbs are popular sayings that provide a little dose of wisdom, a truth that is sometimes so obvious it’s overlooked.  Can you think of a proverb in your native language that touched you in an important moment of your life? Well, I can think of one: "There is no time like the present." So let’s get to it! Proverbs add versatility and color to our spoken language, so today we’ll introduce you to the thirty most common Swedish proverbs. Using any one of these at just the right moment is sure to impress native speakers! If you really want your language skills to shine, knowing proverbs in the Swedish language is a great way to start. And of course, it will also help you better fit in with Swedes and gain a deeper understanding of... Show more

Imagine a summer’s day spent strolling along waterfront promenades and harbors, surrounded by pencil-colored historical buildings and leafy parks…  But wait, you don’t need to imagine it. Just visit Stockholm! The capital of Sweden is made up of fourteen islands, through which the freshwater Lake Mälaren flows out into the Baltic Sea. Sounds like an idyllic place, doesn’t it? And that’s not all: Outside of the city, the Stockholm Archipelago continues with over 30,000 more islands. In this travel guide, you’ll discover Stockholm’s top eleven destinations as well as some extra tips and hints.  As St. Augustine said, "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." And I assure you, the pages of this... Show more

It’s no secret that Swedes speak English well. But if you dropped in unexpectedly on a Swedish company’s conference call, you might be a little surprised to hear everyone speaking in English despite the fact that everyone working there was born and raised in-country. What gives? Shouldn’t they be speaking...Swedish? Well, because of many different factors, there are quite a few modern colloquial English words in Swedish. They call this phenomenon "Swenglish," and here’s what it’s all about. Table of Contents Putting Swenglish in Context Examples of Swenglish English Loanwords What a Swedish Accent Sounds Like in English English Words Originally From Swedish Conclusion Putting Swenglish in Context ... Show more

How long was it after you heard the word "IKEA" that you started studying Swedish? IKEA, like meatballs and beautiful nature, produces a strong image of Swedish culture and the Swedish people. When you study a language, it’s important to know about the culture of where that language is spoken. If you learn from dictionaries and textbooks alone, you’ll never get a sense of what life is like on the streets in that country; if you only watch YouTube street interviews, you’ll never know what the literature is like. How up-to-date or complete are your mental images of Sweden? On this page, you’ll get to know Swedish culture a bit better. This knowledge, in turn, will act as an important complement to your language studies now and in... Show more

https://www.youtube.com/embed/v7JhfNUmli4 What if I told you there was one day a year when you could eat all the waffles you could possibly want? Yes, I’m talking about Waffle Day (formerly known as Our Lady Day) in Sweden.  If you have a mighty sweet tooth on you (or just love pastries a lot), it’s your lucky day! We’ll discuss the origins of this holiday, get your mouth watering with some info on Swedish waffles, and cover some key vocabulary.  Let’s get started! 1. What is Waffle Day? In Sweden, Våffeldagen (Waffle Day) is a springtime holiday during which the general population can indulge in a feast of waffles! But despite the holiday’s festive and indulgent nature, it was originally celebrated as a... Show more

A quick glance at some photos of Swedish cities, and you may realize that Sweden doesn’t look all that different from English-speaking countries. And didn’t the Vikings end up living in the British Isles for a while? Similarly, Swedish grammar isn’t too far off from English grammar. Whether you look at the vocabulary, word order, or verb conjugation, you’re likely to see some major similarities. Of course, when you’re learning a language, you’re probably a bit more concerned with the differences. That’s why we’ve created this page: to give you a broad overview of some of the grammatical features of Swedish and how they differ from English. The more you know now, the better-prepared you’ll be in the future! In this Swedish grammar... Show more

People are, it seems, primed to enjoy quoting others. In Western culture at least, quoting something well-known is a sign to others that you belong, that you’re part of the in-crowd that knows the book, movie, or TV show in question.  For that reason, quotes have existed long before books, movies, and TV shows, and they’ll certainly persist into the distant future.  In this list of Swedish quotes, you’ll find some old favorites that everyone in the world knows, as well as some classic Scandinavian sayings that you probably haven’t heard before.  Ready to impress your friends with these Swedish quotes? Table of Contents Quotes About Success Quotes About Life Quotes About Time Quotes About Food Quotes About Love ... Show more

Did you know that YouTube has more than 2 billion monthly users? In fact, it’s one of our top go-to outlets for information and entertainment nowadays.  Some of the best online content creators have chosen the platform to publish their content, and the amount and quality of video channels on YouTube far exceed that of any competition. YouTube now serves as an amazing language immersion tool, as well.  To give you a leg up on your hunt for the best YouTube channels to learn the Swedish language, we’ve compiled a list of our top ten recommendations.  But first...how can you utilize this video sharing platform to make the most of your time?  Taking full advantage of your personalized homepage is a great way to start.  If... Show more

Many say that conversation is an art. And more than that, conversations are our primary way of getting to know other people. There are conversations for every situation, and a good one should address topics that are of interest to both people.  The best way to start a conversation is by asking a question. But asking questions in a foreign language can feel intimidating, especially when you’re not sure what kinds of questions to ask in the first place. Learning how to ask questions in Swedish is one of the first steps that students of the language must take, after basic greeting phrases. This is mainly because questions are such a good way to start a conversation, and the trick to learning any new language is to practice as much as... Show more