100 Common Swedish Words to Boost Your Confidence and Everyday Fluency

Learning a new language can feel like climbing a mountain — but knowing the most common words gives you a head start. Mastering these will help you understand everyday conversations, read signs and emails more easily, and start forming sentences of your own.

As we mentioned in our previous post, focusing on the top 100 most common words is one of the smartest ways to build a foundation for fluency. Once you recognize these words, everything else starts to click — grammar feels easier, conversations make more sense, and confidence follows.

Below you’ll find 100 of the most frequently used Swedish words. They appear everywhere: on your commute, in text messages, at work, in shops — and, before long, in your own sentences too.

How to Work With These Words

Don’t just read them — use them!

Here are a few simple ways to make these words stick:

• Spot them in the wild: Notice them on signs, packaging, and social media posts on your way to work. You’ll be surprised how many you recognize once you start looking.

• Build mini-sentences: Combine a few words at a time — for example: Jag är här nu (I am here now).

• Create flashcards: Write the Swedish word on one side and the English translation on the other. Shuffle, test yourself, and track your progress.

• Use them out loud: Say short phrases during your day — when you grab coffee, check the weather, or send a message. Speaking helps anchor the words in memory.

• Challenge yourself: Try using ten of these words in a short journal entry or daily reflection.

The more actively you engage with these words, the faster they’ll become part of your natural Swedish vocabulary.

The 100 Most Common Swedish Words

1. Pronouns (people & things)

Use these to talk about yourself and others.

jag – I

du – you

han – he

hon – she

vi – we

ni – you (plural)

de – they

mig – me

dig – you (object)

sig – himself/herself

oss – us

dem – them

man – one/you (general)

sin – his/her (reflexive)

sitt – his/her (reflexive)

din – your

mitt – my

egen – own

Example:

Jag och du går till jobbet. (You and I go to work.)

Hon pratar med dem. (She talks to them.)

2. Verbs (action & being)

These help you describe what happens

.är – is/are

har – have

ska – shall/will

kan – canvill – want

måste – must

gör – do/make

ta – take

kommer – come

blir – become

förstå – understand

säger – says

vet – know

kunde – could

vara – be

Example:

Jag kan förstå lite svenska. (I can understand a little Swedish.)

Hon vill ta en kaffe. (She wants to have a coffee.)

3. Prepositions (place & time)

Small words that connect things — essential for fluency!

i – in

på – on/at

från – from

till – to

av – of/by

med – with

utan – without

över – over/about

mellan – between

under – under

inom – within

efter – after

genom – through

in – in (motion toward)

Example:

Vi går till skolan med våra vänner. (We walk to school with our friends.)

Hon sitter på kontoret. (She sits at the office.)

4. Conjunctions & Connectors

These words tie your thoughts together.

och – and

men – but

eller – or

så – so

som – who/as

att – to

om – if/about

för – for/because

eftersom – because

ju – just

Example:

Jag vill gå ut, men det regnar. (I want to go out, but it’s raining.)

Hon sa att hon är trött. (She said that she is tired.)

5. Question Words

Use these to start conversations or ask for information.

vad – what

varför – why

när – when

Example:

Vad gör du? (What are you doing?)

Varför är du här? (Why are you here?)

6. Adverbs (time, place, degree)

They make your sentences more specific.

här – here

där – there

nu – now

då – then

igen – again

mycket – much

mer – more

även – even

bara – just

inte – not

också – also

Example:

Vi är här nu. (We are here now.)

Han är inte klar än. (He’s not done yet.)

7. Nouns (things & concepts)

The building blocks for your sentences.

dag – day

tid – time

människa – human/person

del – part

Sverige – Sweden

Example:

En dag i Sverige. (A day in Sweden.)

Människan behöver tid. (Humans need time.)

8. Adjectives (descriptions)

Add colour and meaning to what you say.

bra – good

stor – big

ny – new

första – first

egen – own (also listed under pronouns)

annan – other

Example:

Det är en bra dag. (It’s a good day.)

Hon har en ny jacka. (She has a new jacket.)

9. Quantifiers & Amounts

Useful for talking about “how much” or “how many.”

alla – all

ingen – no one

någon – someone

något – something

allt – everything

fler – more (countable)

mer – more (uncountable)

två – two

tre – three

mycket – much

endast – only

Example:

Alla människor behöver något. (All people need something.)

Jag har bara två äpplen. (I have only two apples.)

10. Common Connective Phrases & Particles

Glue words that appear in nearly every conversation.

ju – just

så – so

då – then

också – also

bara – just

utan – without

över – over/about

Example:

Det är ju bra! (That’s good, you know!)

Vi ses då! (See you then!)

11. Miscellaneous Everyday Words

Useful extras you’ll see and hear all the time.

var – was/were

ska – shall/will

efter – after

sedan – since/then

förstå – understand

kanske – maybe

Example:

Jag ska ringa dig senare. (I’ll call you later.)

Kanske imorgon. (Maybe tomorrow.)

Practice Idea

Pick one or two words from each group and build a mini-sentence every day.

Example:

• Jag är här nu. (I am here now.)

• Vi vill gå till Sverige. (We want to go to Sweden.)

• Hon har en bra dag. (She has a good day.)

Within a week, you’ll notice how naturally they start to connect.

Final Thoughts

Learning these 100 words gives you a solid foundation for understanding and using Swedish in real life. They’re small building blocks — but together, they form the structure of everyday speech.

Be patient, stay curious, and make a game of noticing these words around you. Soon, you won’t just recognize them — you’ll be using them naturally in conversation.