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

Would you say that you’re the adventurous type? One for tall waves on high seas, long journeys, and tough challenges? Whether you’re a beginner or an expert in Swedish, you know that the Swedish language can have its rough spots. Why not anchor yourself with something nice and tasty, something closely connected to Swedish culture? Aside from language, cuisine is one of the most tangible aspects of culture. Go down any main street in any town and you’ll see restaurants serving local and foreign foods right alongside each other. But what about Swedish food? You may be lucky enough to have Swedish restaurants nearby, or perhaps you have Swedish relatives who can cook nice meals for you. None of the above? Well in that case, it... 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

Verbs are considered the most important part of speech when learning any new language. They describe every single mental and physical activity we do, from the moment we wake up in the morning to falling asleep at night. Even sleeping is full of verbs: you sleep, you breathe, you relax, you dream, you toss and turn, you snore… okay, maybe you snore!  The word ‘verb’ comes from the Latin for ‘word’ - your first indication that it's pretty important. In elementary terms: these are the ‘doing’ words and they exist in every language. Verbs are essential in communication and no sentence can exist without one. When learning to speak Swedish, the verbs you know will be your building blocks to make sentences. Whether you’re commenting on the... Show more

Do you remember the moment you fell in love with languages? Do you desire to learn or advance in Swedish quickly and effectively? Then you need a Swedish tutor. A common question that first-time language-learners ask is "Where do I begin?" The answer? Guidance. For native English-speakers who want to learn Asian languages, for example, timelines provided by the U.S. Foreign Service Institute can appear discouraging. However, defeating these odds is not unheard of. If you want to beat the odds yourself, one of the best learning options is a subscription to Premium PLUS from Innovative Language. As an active Premium PLUS member of JapanesePod101.com and KoreanClass101.com myself, I have an enjoyable experience learning at an accelerated... Show more

What’s your relationship with the clock like? Does it run your day from a morning alarm to a cut-off chime for bed, or are you more of a go-with-the-flow type, letting your mood and emotions decide how much you fall in line with time? Understanding time in Swedish is an important part of your studies. As humans, our lives are filled with habits and schedules. From waking up and going to work or gym, to missing rush hour traffic on our way home, we’re always aware of time. We have routines around coffee breaks, meetings, soccer games and vacations. In fact, time can seem rather capricious - going slowly, going fast, sometimes against us, other times on our side - like a force that has a life of its own. In science, time is often... Show more

Do you know your left from your right in Swedish? Asking for directions can mean the difference between a heavenly day on the beach and a horrible day on your feet, hot and bothered and wondering how to even get back to the hotel. Believe me - I know! On my earlier travels, I didn’t even know simple terms like ‘go straight ahead’ or ‘go west,’ and I was always too shy to ask locals for directions. It wasn’t my ego, but rather the language barrier that held me back. I've ended up in some pretty dodgy situations for my lack of directional word skills. This never needs to happen! When traveling in , you should step out in confidence, ready to work your Swedish magic and have a full day of exploring. It’s about knowing a few basic phrases... Show more