Common Swedish words with meanings (starter set)

A short, high-value set of common Swedish words with their English meanings. Each links to a full word page with pronunciation and an example sentence. Learn a cluster, then lock it in with active recall in the free game.

Pronouns and glue words

These appear in almost every sentence — own them first.

• jag — "I"
• du — "you"
• det — "it / the"
• som — "as / that / who"
• för — "for"

Everyday verbs

Swedish verbs are regular in the present tense, so a few carry you far.

• att göra — "to do"
• att ge — "to give"
• att få — "to get"
• att gå — "to go"
• att använda — "to use"
• att vilja — "to want"

Nouns you use daily

• vatten — "water"
• mat — "food"
• en hand — "a hand"
• en mun — "a mouth"
• ett öga — "an eye"
• ett barn — "a child"
• en kvinna — "a woman"
• ett land — "a country"

How to make them stick

Reading this list once will not do it. Open a few word pages, then switch to retrieval: the free arcade game tests you under time pressure and schedules reviews with SM-2 spacing. For the full method, read how to learn Swedish vocabulary fast; the complete ordered list is at /words.