Swedish nouns, or substantiv, are a fundamental part of the language, but they have features that will be familiar to English speakers and some that will be entirely new. The main concepts to master are Gender and the four possible Forms for each noun.

Swedish has two grammatical genders that all nouns belong to. This is perhaps the most critical difference to learn from the start, as the gender determines the form of the definite article and adjectives used with the noun.

• n-words - Utrum (Common Gender): en bil (a car)
• t-words - Neutrum (Neuter Gender): ett hus (a house)

There is no rule to predict a noun's gender. You must learn the gender (en or ett) with the noun. Good news is, about 75-80% of Swedish nouns are n-words (Utrum), so if you have to guess, en is the safer bet.

Every Swedish noun can take four forms, which are grouped by two factors: Number (Singular/Plural) and Definiteness (Indefinite/Definite).

Swedish adjectives are descriptive words that modify nouns, but unlike English adjectives, they are not fixed in form. The adjective must change its ending to match the Gender, Number, and Definiteness of the noun it describes.

Pronouns are words that replace or refer to a noun (substantiv). In Swedish, mastering pronouns is crucial because, unlike nouns, they are often the only word class that retains case (changing form based on their role in the sentence) and they must agree with the noun's gender and number.

Personal Pronouns:

• jag - mig (I / me)
• du - dig (You / you)
• han - honom (He / him)
• hon - henne (She / her)
• den- den (It / it - n-word)
• det - det (It / it - t-word)
• vi - oss (We / us)
• ni - er (You / you)
• de - dem (They / them)

Possessive Pronouns:

• Possessive pronouns indicate ownership (like my, your, our). Crucially, they must agree in gender and number with the object being possessed, not the person possessing it.

Reflexive Pronouns:

• Reflexive pronouns are used when the object of the verb is the same as the subject (He washes himself).

Other Important Pronoun:

• Demonstrative Pronouns (Den här, Det här, De här): Used to point things out, and they agree with the noun's gender and number. They often use the definite form of the noun, e.g., Den här bilen** (This car).

• Relative Pronouns (som): The most common relative pronoun, used for 'who,' 'which,' or 'that,' is the invariable som, e.g., Boken som jag läser (The book that I am reading).

• Interrogative Pronouns (vem, vad, vilken): Used to ask questions. Note the three forms of 'which': vilken (n-word), vilket (t-word), and vilka (plural), which must agree with the noun's gender and number.

The grammar of Swedish verbs is relatively straightforward compared to many other Indo-European languages, largely because they do not conjugate for person or number.

• The verb form remains the same regardless of the subject (I, you, he, she, we, they).

• To fully know a Swedish verb, you typically need to know the five principal forms.

Swedish has an Active and a Passive voice:

• Active: The subject performs the action (Jag öppnar dörren. - I open the door.)

• Passive (S-Passive): Formed by adding an -s to the end of the active form. The focus is on the action or the object being acted upon. (Dörren öppnas - The door is opened)

The grammar of Swedish adverbs is characterized by their formation, comparison, and, most importantly, their highly specific placement within a clause due to the language's V2 word order rule.

In Main Clauses (V2 Order)

In main clauses, the finite verb is always the second element. The sentence adverb follows the finite verb (Verb Position 2) and often follows the subject (Jag läser alltid boken).

In Subordinate Clauses (The BIFF Rule)

In subordinate clauses, adverbs are placed before the finite verb. This is often summarized by the BIFF rule, where adverbs comes before the conjugated verb (... att jag alltid läser boken).

Swedish prepositions are small but essential words that link a noun or pronoun (the object of the preposition) to another word in the sentence, indicating relationships of place, time, direction, or abstract connection.

They are notoriously difficult for learners because they often do not have a one-to-one translation with English and are frequently determined by fixed expressions or the specific verb used.

Swedish conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses to form more complex sentences. Like in English, they fall into two main categories based on the grammatical units they connect: coordinating conjunctions and subordinating conjunctions.

The most common coordinating conjunctions are:

• och (and)
• men (but)
• eller (or)
• för (for/because)
• så (so)

Subordinating conjunctions introduce a subordinate clause (a dependent clause) that must be attached to a main clause. They establish relationships like cause, time, condition, or purpose.

• att (that)
• eftersom (because)
• när (when)
• om (if)

Swedish sentence structure is governed by two main principles: the V2 rule in main clauses and a distinct word order for subordinate clauses, summarized by the BIFF rule.

Main Clauses: The V2 Rule

In the most neutral or unmarked sentence, the Subject (S) occupies Position 1, followed by the Verb, resulting in a common SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) structure, similar to English.

If any element other than the subject (such as an adverb, an object, or a whole clause) is placed in Position 1 for emphasis (called topicalization), the Subject must immediately move to Position 3, after the finite verb. This is called inversion.

Subordinate Clauses: The BIFF Rule

Subordinate clauses (bisatser), which are dependent on a main clause and introduced by a subordinating conjunction (like att, om, när, eftersom), have a different and fixed word order that breaks the V2 rule.

**The difference in the placement of the sentence adverb is the most critical distinction between main and subordinate clauses

Here are some essential tips for a beginner learning Swedish grammar, focusing on practical application and common stumbling blocks:

1. Embrace the V2 Rule (Verb Second)

The V2 rule is the bedrock of Swedish grammar. Accept that the finite verb must be in the second position in a main clause, and practice this daily. This means:

• If you start with the Subject (S): The order is S-V-O. Jag läser en bok. (I read a book.)

• If you start with anything else (Time, Place, Object): You must invert the Subject and Verb. I dag läser jag en bok. (Today read I a book.)

2. Master the en vs. ett Genders

Swedish has two grammatical genders: common (en) and neuter (ett). There are no fixed rules to predict which to use, but consistent practice is key.

• Learn the word with its article: Learn it as en-word or ett-word (e.g., en stol, ett hus).

• Focus on the en words: Most words (about 75%) are en words, so ett words often feel like the exception.

• Singular Definite Form: The definite article is added as a suffix to the noun, and the ending reflects the gender

3. Understand the BIFF vs. SA Placement

The placement of sentence adverbs (SA) like inte (not) is the biggest difference between a main clause and a subordinate clause (introduced by words like att, om, när).

4. Be Patient with Prepositions

As you know, prepositions (like i, på, vid) are often idiomatic and rarely have a direct English translation.

• Focus on fixed expressions
• Learn with the verb: When you learn a new verb, learn the preposition it takes. For example, att tänka på (to think about).