Svenska
Swedish
Germanic
Also known as: Swedish, Svenska
Swedish (Svenska) is a North Germanic language with ~10M speakers — sole official language of Sweden, co-official with Finnish in Finland (Finland-Swedish minority ~290K, especially Åland Islands). Sister to Danish and Norwegian (mutually intelligible Scandinavian dialect continuum, especially in writing). Distinguished by pitch-accent system (acute vs grave on stressed syllables, contrasting words like ánden "the duck" vs ànden "the spirit"). Latin orthography from 13c. Christianization. Standardized 1526 Bible translation. SVO with V2 main clause / V-final subordinate.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Swedish
Sources
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Germanic
| Meaning | Swedish | Norwegian | Norwegian Nynorsk | Old Frisian | Faroese | Old Saxon | Low German |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | vatten /vatːɛn/ | vann /vɑnː/ | vatn /vɑːtn/ | wetir /wetir/ | vatn /vahtn/ | watar /ˈwatar/ | Water /vɑːtɐ/ |
| Fire | eld /ɛld/ | ild /ilː/ | eld /ɛld/ | fiur /fjuːɾ/ | eldur /ɛltʊɹ/ | fiur /fiur/ | Füer /fyːɐ/ |
| Sun | sol /suːl/ | sol /suːl/ | sol /suːl/ | sunne /sunːe/ | sól /sɔuːl/ | sunna /ˈsunːa/ | Sünn /zʏn/ |
| Moon | måne /moːnɛ/ | måne /moːnə/ | måne /moːnə/ | mōna /moːnɑ/ | máni /mɔaːnɪ/ | māno /ˈmaːno/ | Maan /maːn/ |
| Star | stjärna /ˈɧæːɳa/ | stjerne /ˈstjæːɳə/ | stjerne /ˈstjæːɳə/ | stera /ˈstɛra/ | stjørna /ˈtʃœdna/ | sterro /ˈsterro/ | Steern /steːrn/ |
| Night | natt /natː/ | natt /nɑtː/ | natt /nɑtː/ | nacht /naxt/ | nátt /nɔtː/ | naht /naxt/ | Nacht /naxt/ |
| Rain | regn /rɛŋn/ | regn /rɛjn/ | regn /rɛjn/ | rein /rɛin/ | regn /rɛɡn/ | regan /reɣan/ | Regen /ˈreːɡn̩/ |
| Snow | snö /snøː/ | snø /snøː/ | snø /snøː/ | snē /sneː/ | kavi /ˈkɛaːvɪ/ | snēo /ˈsneːo/ | Snee /sneː/ |
| Wind | vind /vɪnd/ | vind /vɪnː/ | vind /vɪnː/ | wind /wind/ | vindur /ˈvɪndʊr/ | wind /wind/ | Wind /vɪnt/ |
| Earth | jord /juːrd/ | jord /juːr/ | jord /juːr/ | irthe /irθe/ | jørð /jœɹd/ | ertha /erθa/ | Eer /eːɐ/ |
| Stone | sten /steːn/ | stein /stæɪn/ | stein /stæɪn/ | stēn /steːn/ | steinur /staiːnʊɹ/ | stēn /steːn/ | Steen /steːn/ |
| Mountain | berg /bærj/ | fjell /fjɛlː/ | fjell /fjɛlː/ | berch /berx/ | fjall /fjatl/ | berg /berɡ/ | Barg /barx/ |
| Sea | hav /hɑːv/ | hav /hɑːv/ | hav /hɑːʋ/ | sē /seː/ | hav /hɛaːv/ | seo /ˈseːo/ | See /zeː/ |
| Mother | mamma /mamːa/ | mor /muːr/ | mor /muːr/ | moder /moːdeɾ/ | móðir /mɔuːɪɹ/ | modar /ˈmoːdar/ | Moder /moːdɐ/ |
| Father | pappa /papːa/ | far /fɑːr/ | far /fɑːr/ | feder /fedeɾ/ | faðir /fɛaːjɪɹ/ | fader /ˈfadər/ | Vader /fɑːdɐ/ |
| Daughter | dotter /ˈdɔtːɛr/ | datter /ˈdatːər/ | dotter /ˈdɔtːər/ | dochter /ˈdoxteɾ/ | dóttir /ˈdœhtɪɹ/ | dohtar /ˈdoxtar/ | Dochter /dɔxtɐ/ |
| I | jag /jɑːɡ/ | jeg /jæɪ/ | eg /eːɡ/ | ik /ik/ | eg /eː/ | ik /ik/ | ik /ɪk/ |
| You | du /dʉː/ | du /dʉː/ | du /dʉː/ | thū /θuː/ | tú /tʉuː/ | thu /θuː/ | du /duː/ |
| We | vi /viː/ | vi /viː/ | me /meː/ | wī /wiː/ | vit /viːt/ | wī /wiː/ | wi /viː/ |
| Name | namn /namn/ | navn /nɑʋn/ | namn /nɑmn/ | nama /ˈnama/ | navn /naun/ | namo /ˈnamo/ | Naam /naːm/ |
| Person | människa /ˈmɛnːɪɧa/ | menneske /ˈmɛnːəskə/ | menneske /ˈmɛnːəskə/ | — | menniskja /ˈmɛnːɪʃa/ | man /man/ | Minsch /mɪnʃ/ |
| Head | huvud /ˈhʉːvɵd/ | hode /ˈhuːdə/ | hovud /ˈhuːvʉ/ | hāved /ˈhaːved/ | høvd /hœtː/ | hōbid /ˈhoːβid/ | Kopp /kɔp/ |
| Eye | öga /øːɡa/ | øye /øjə/ | auga /æʉɡɑ/ | āge /aːɣe/ | eyga /ɛiːja/ | ōga /ˈoːɡa/ | Oog /oːx/ |
| Ear | öra /øːra/ | øre /øːrə/ | øyra /øːyra/ | are /ˈaːrə/ | oyra /ɔiːra/ | ōra /ˈoːra/ | Ohr /oːr/ |
| Nose | näsa /ˈnɛːsa/ | nese /ˈneːsə/ | nase /ˈnɑːsə/ | nose /nozə/ | nøs /nøːs/ | nasa /nasa/ | Nees /neːs/ |
| Mouth | mun /mɵn/ | munn /mʉnː/ | munn /mʉnː/ | mūth /muːθ/ | munnur /ˈmʊnːʊɹ/ | mūth /muːθ/ | Muul /muːl/ |
| Tooth | tand /tand/ | tann /tɑnː/ | tann /tanː/ | tōth /toːθ/ | tonn /tɔnː/ | tand /tand/ | Tähn /tɛːn/ |
| Tongue | tunga /ˈtɵŋa/ | tunge /ˈtʊŋə/ | tunge /ˈtʉŋə/ | tunge /ˈtuŋɡe/ | tunga /ˈtʊŋɡa/ | tunga /ˈtuŋɡa/ | Tung /tʊŋ/ |
| Hand | hand /hand/ | hånd /hɔnː/ | hand /hɑnd/ | hond /hond/ | hond /hɔnt/ | hand /hand/ | Hand /hant/ |
| Foot | fot /fuːt/ | fot /fuːt/ | fot /fuːt/ | fōt /foːt/ | fótur /ˈfɔuːtʊɹ/ | fōt /foːt/ | Foot /fɔʊ̯t/ |
| Heart | hjärta /ˈjæʈːa/ | hjerte /ˈjæʈə/ | hjarte /jɑːrtə/ | herte /heɾte/ | hjarta /jaɹta/ | herta /ˈherta/ | Hart /haɐt/ |
| Bone | ben /beːn/ | bein /bæɪn/ | bein /bæɪn/ | bēn /beːn/ | bein /baiːn/ | bēn /beːn/ | Knaken /ˈknaːkən/ |
| Blood | blod /bluːd/ | blod /bluː/ | blod /bluː/ | blōd /bloːd/ | blóð /bloːʊ/ | blōd /bloːd/ | Bloot /bloːt/ |
| Poop | bajs /bajs/ | bæsj /bæʃ/ | bæsj /bæʃ/ | — | kúkur /kʉːkʊr/ | — | Schiet /ʃiːt/ |
| Love | kärlek /ɕæːɭɛk/ | kjærlighet /ˈçæːɭɪˌheːt/ | kjærleik /çæːrlɛik/ | minne /minːe/ | kærleiki /kɛaːɹlaiːtʃɪ/ | minnea /ˈminːea/ | Leev /leːf/ |
| Tree | träd /trɛːd/ | tre /treː/ | tre /treː/ | bām /baːm/ | træ /tɹɛaː/ | bōm /boːm/ | Boom /boːm/ |
| Dog | hund /hɵnd/ | hund /hʉnː/ | hund /hʉnd/ | hund /hund/ | hundur /hʊntʊɹ/ | hund /hund/ | Hund /hʊnt/ |
| Cat | katt /katː/ | katt /kɑtː/ | katt /kɑtː/ | katte /katːe/ | ketta /tʃɛhta/ | katta /ˈkatːa/ | Katt /kat/ |
| Fish | fisk /fɪsk/ | fisk /fɪsk/ | fisk /fɪsk/ | fisk /fisk/ | fiskur /ˈfɪskʊɹ/ | fisk /fisk/ | Fisch /fɪʃ/ |
| Bird | fågel /ˈfoːɡɛl/ | fugl /fʉːɡl/ | fugl /fʉːl/ | fugel /ˈfuɡəl/ | fuglur /ˈfuːlʊɹ/ | fugal /ˈfuɡal/ | Vagel /ˈfaːɣəl/ |
| Butterfly | fjäril /ˈfjæːrɪl/ | sommerfugl /ˈsɔmərfʉːl/ | sommarfugl /ˈsɔmɑrfʉːl/ | — | firvaldur /ˈfɪɹvaldʊɹ/ | — | Sommervagel /ˈzɔmɐfaːɣəl/ |
| Egg | ägg /ɛɡː/ | egg /æɡ/ | egg /æɡ/ | ei /ɛi/ | egg /ɛɡ/ | ei /ɛi/ | Ei /ai/ |
| Bear | björn /bjœːɳ/ | bjørn /bjœːɳ/ | bjørn /bjœːɳ/ | — | bjørn /bjœɹn/ | bero /ˈbero/ | Boor /boːr/ |
| Horse | häst /hɛst/ | hest /hɛst/ | hest /hɛst/ | hors /hors/ | hestur /ˈhɛstʊr/ | hros /hros/ | Peerd /peːrt/ |
| House | hus /hʉːs/ | hus /hʉːs/ | hus /huːs/ | hūs /huːs/ | hús /huːs/ | hūs /huːs/ | Huus /huːs/ |
| Milk | mjölk /mjœlk/ | melk /mɛlk/ | mjølk /mjœlk/ | melok /ˈmelok/ | mjólk /mjɔulk/ | miluk /ˈmiluk/ | Melk /mɛlk/ |
| Honey | honung /ˈhoːnɵŋ/ | honning /ˈhɔnːɪŋ/ | honning /ˈhɔnːɪŋ/ | hunich /ˈhunix/ | hunangur /ˈhuːnaŋɡʊɹ/ | huneg /ˈhunɛɣ/ | Honnig /ˈhɔnɪç/ |
| Salt | salt /salt/ | salt /sɑlt/ | salt /sɑlt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ | salt /salt/ | Solt /zɔlt/ |
| Wine | vin /viːn/ | vin /viːn/ | vin /viːn/ | wīn /wiːn/ | vín /vʊin/ | wīn /wiːn/ | Wien /viːn/ |
| Rice | ris /riːs/ | ris /riːs/ | ris /riːs/ | — | rís /rʊis/ | — | Ries /riːs/ |
| Chocolate | choklad /ɕʊˈklɑːd/ | sjokolade /ʃukuˈlɑːdə/ | sjokolade /ʃukuˈlɑːdə/ | — | sjokuláta /ˈʃoːʰkʊlɔɑːʰta/ | — | Schokolaad /ʃokoˈlaːt/ |
| Iron | järn /jæːɳ/ | jern /jæːɳ/ | jarn /jɑːɳ/ | īsern /ˈiːsern/ | jarn /jaɳ/ | īsarn /ˈiːsarn/ | Iesen /ˈiːzn̩/ |
| Wheel | hjul /juːl/ | hjul /juːl/ | hjul /jʉːl/ | hwēl /hweːl/ | hjól /tʃɔuːl/ | rath /raθ/ | Rad /raːt/ |
| Silk | silke /ˈsɪlkɛ/ | silke /ˈsɪlkə/ | silke /ˈsɪlkə/ | — | silki /ˈsɪltʃɪ/ | — | Sied /ziː/ |
| Book | bok /buːk/ | bok /buːk/ | bok /buːk/ | bōk /boːk/ | bók /pɔuːk/ | bōk /boːk/ | Book /boːk/ |
| Eat | äta /ɛːta/ | spise /spiːsə/ | eta /eːtɑ/ | eta /etɑ/ | eta /eːta/ | etan /ˈetan/ | eten /eːtn̩/ |
| Drink | dricka /drɪkːa/ | drikke /drɪkːə/ | drikka /drɪkːɑ/ | drinka /dɾinkɑ/ | drekka /tɹɛhka/ | drinkan /ˈdrinkan/ | drinken /drɪŋkn̩/ |
| Sleep | sova /ˈsuːva/ | sove /ˈsuːvə/ | sova /ˈsuːva/ | slēpa /ˈsleːpa/ | sova /ˈsɔːva/ | slāpan /ˈslɑːpan/ | slapen /ˈslaːpn̩/ |
| One | en /eːn/ | en /eːn/ | ein /ɛɪn/ | ān /aːn/ | ein /ain/ | ēn /eːn/ | een /eːn/ |
| Two | två /tvoː/ | to /tuː/ | to /tuː/ | twā /twaː/ | tveir /tvaɪɹ/ | twēne /ˈtweːne/ | twee /tveː/ |
| Three | tre /treː/ | tre /treː/ | tre /treː/ | thrē /θreː/ | tríggir /ˈtɹʊdʒːɪɹ/ | thrie /θriː/ | dree /dreː/ |
| Four | fyra /ˈfyːra/ | fire /ˈfiːrə/ | fire /ˈfiːrə/ | fiuwer /ˈfiuwer/ | fýra /ˈfʊiɹa/ | fiuwar /ˈfiuwar/ | veer /feːɐ̯/ |
| Five | fem /fɛmː/ | fem /fɛm/ | fem /fɛm/ | fīf /fiːf/ | fimm /fɪmː/ | fīf /fiːf/ | fief /fiːf/ |
| Hundred | hundra /ˈhɵndra/ | hundre /ˈhʉndrə/ | hundre /ˈhʉndrə/ | hundred /hundred/ | hundrað /ˈhʊndɹa/ | hund /hund/ | hunnert /ˈhʊnɐt/ |
| Hello | hej /hɛj/ | hei /hɛɪ/ | hei /hɛɪ/ | heil /heil/ | hey /hɛi/ | heil /heil/ | Moin /mɔɪn/ |
| Thank you | tack /takː/ | takk /tɑkː/ | takk /tɑkː/ | thank /θank/ | takk /tʰahk/ | thank /θaŋk/ | Dankschöön /daŋkʃøːn/ |
| Good | bra /brɑː/ | bra /brɑː/ | god /ɡuːd/ | gōd /ɡoːd/ | góður /kɔuːʊɹ/ | gōd /ɡoːd/ | goot /ɡoːt/ |
| New | ny /nyː/ | ny /nyː/ | ny /nyː/ | nī /niː/ | nýggjur /ˈnʊdʒːʊɹ/ | niuwi /ˈniuwi/ | nee /neː/ |
| Red | röd /røːd/ | rød /røː/ | raud /rœʉd/ | rād /raːd/ | reyður /ˈɹɛiːjʊɹ/ | rōd /roːd/ | root /roːt/ |
| White | vit /viːt/ | hvit /ʋiːt/ | kvit /kviːt/ | hwīt /hwiːt/ | hvítur /kvʊiːtʊɹ/ | hwīt /hwiːt/ | witt /vɪt/ |
| Black | svart /svart/ | svart /svɑʈ/ | svart /svɑrt/ | swart /swart/ | svartur /ˈsvaʂtʊɹ/ | swart /swart/ | swart /svart/ |
| Green | grön /ɡrøːn/ | grønn /ɡrœnː/ | grøn /ɡrøːn/ | grēne /ˈɡreːne/ | grønur /ˈɡrøːnʊr/ | grōni /ˈɡroːni/ | gröön /ɡrøːn/ |
| Blue | blå /bloː/ | blå /bloː/ | blå /bloː/ | — | bláur /ˈblɔaːɹʊɹ/ | — | blau /blaʊ/ |
| Cuckoo | gök /jøːk/ | gjøk /jøːk/ | gauk /ɡæʉk/ | — | geykur /ˈtʃɛiːkʊr/ | — | Kukuk /ˈkuːkuk/ |
| Woof | voff voff /vɔf vɔf/ | voff voff /vɔf vɔf/ | — | — | voff voff /vɔfː vɔfː/ | — | — |
| Cock-a-doodle-doo | kuckeliku /ˌkɵkːəliˈkʉː/ | kykeliky /kykəliˈkyː/ | — | — | — | — | — |
| Computer | dator /ˈdɑːtɔr/ | datamaskin /ˈdɑːtamaˌʃiːn/ | datamaskin /ˈdɑːtamaˌʃiːn/ | — | telda /ˈtʰɛlda/ | — | Computer /kɔmˈpjuːtɐ/ |
| Wi-Fi | wifi /ˈwiːfi/ | wifi /ˈviːfi/ | wifi /ˈviːfi/ | — | — | — | — |
| Sushi | sushi /ˈsʉːɧi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | sushi /ˈsʉːʃi/ | — | sushi /ˈsuːʃi/ | — | Sushi /ˈzuʃi/ |
| Tea | te /tʰeː/ | te /tʰeː/ | te /teː/ | — | te /tʰeː/ | — | Tee /teː/ |
| Coffee | kaffe /ˈkafːɛ/ | kaffe /ˈkɑfːə/ | kaffi /ˈkɑfːi/ | — | kaffi /ˈkafːɪ/ | — | Koffie /ˈkɔfi/ |
| Sugar | socker /ˈsɔkːɛr/ | sukker /ˈsʊkːər/ | sukker /ˈsʊkːər/ | — | sukur /ˈsuːkʊɹ/ | — | Sucker /ˈzʊkɐ/ |
| Orange | apelsin /apɛlˈsiːn/ | appelsin /ɑpəlˈsiːn/ | appelsin /ɑpəlˈsiːn/ | — | appilsin /aʰpɪlˈsiːn/ | — | Apelsien /apəlˈziːn/ |
| Ninety-nine | nittionio /ˈnɪtːiuˌniːu/ | nittini /ˈnɪtːiˌniː/ | nittini /ˈnɪtːiˌniː/ | — | níggju og níti /nʊdʒːʊ ɔ nʊitɪ/ | — | negenunnegentig /ˈneːɡn̩ʊnˌneːɡn̩tɪç/ |
| Dopamine | dopamin /dɔpaˈmiːn/ | dopamin /dʉpaˈmiːn/ | dopamin /dʉpaˈmiːn/ | — | Dopamin /doːpaˈmiːn/ | — | Dopamin /dopaˈmiːn/ |
| At sign | snabel-a /ˈsnɑːbɛlɑː/ | krøllalfa /ˈkrœlːɑlfɑ/ | krøllalfa /ˈkrœlːɑlfɑ/ | — | kurla /ˈkʰʊɭa/ | — | — |
| Internet laughter | haha /haha/ | lol /lɔlː/ | — | — | — | — | — |
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