A1 Swedish GrammarBasic Questions
Learn to form yes/no questions and use Swedish question words (vem, vad, var, när, varför, hur). Swedish questions use V2 word order with inversion, placing the verb before the subject. Master these patterns to ask questions confidently in everyday situations.
1Yes/No Questions (Inversion)
Swedish forms yes/no questions by inverting the subject and verb. Unlike statements (Subject-Verb), questions begin with the verb: 'Du talar svenska' (You speak Swedish) → 'Talar du svenska?' (Do you speak Swedish?). No auxiliary verb like English 'do' is needed.
Statement to Question
| Statement | English | Question | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Han bor här. | He lives here. | Bor han här? | Does he live here? |
| Du är svensk. | You are Swedish. | Är du svensk? | Are you Swedish? |
| De kommer i dag. | They come today. | Kommer de i dag? | Are they coming today? |
| Hon kan simma. | She can swim. | Kan hon simma? | Can she swim? |
Examples
Talar du engelska?
Do you speak English?
Verb first, then subject
Är du hungrig?
Are you hungry?
är (are) comes before du (you)
Har ni barn?
Do you have children?
Formal 'you' (ni) with inversion
Vill du ha kaffe?
Do you want coffee?
Modal verb first
2Question Words (Frågeord)
Swedish question words are similar to English wh-words. Common ones: vem (who), vad (what), var (where), när (when), varför (why), hur (how). Question words come first, followed by verb, then subject. Some can combine with prepositions.
Swedish Question Words
| Swedish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| vem | who | Vem är du? |
| vad | what | Vad gör du? |
| var | where | Var bor du? |
| när | when | När kommer du? |
| varför | why | Varför är du här? |
| hur | how | Hur mår du? |
Examples
Vem är det?
Who is it?
vem = who
Vad heter du?
What is your name?
Literally: What are you called?
Var arbetar du?
Where do you work?
var = where
Varför lär du dig svenska?
Why are you learning Swedish?
varför = why
3Which and What Kind
'Vilken/vilket/vilka' means 'which' or 'what' and agrees with the noun's gender and number. En-words use 'vilken', ett-words use 'vilket', and plurals use 'vilka'. 'Hurdan/hurdant/hurdana' means 'what kind of' but is less common in speech.
Vilken Forms
| Form | Gender | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| vilken | en-word | Vilken bok? | Which book? |
| vilket | ett-word | Vilket hus? | Which house? |
| vilka | plural | Vilka bilar? | Which cars? |
Examples
Vilken dag passar dig?
Which day suits you?
vilken with en-word (dag)
Vilket språk talar du?
Which language do you speak?
vilket with ett-word (språk)
Vilka filmer gillar du?
Which movies do you like?
vilka with plural (filmer)
I vilken stad bor du?
In which city do you live?
Preposition + vilken
4Common Question Phrases
Certain question phrases are used constantly in Swedish conversation. Learn these fixed expressions: 'Hur mycket kostar...?' (How much does...cost?), 'Hur dags...?' (What time...?), 'Hur länge...?' (How long...?), 'Hur många...?' (How many...?).
Essential Question Phrases
| Swedish | English | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Hur mår du? | How are you? | Greeting |
| Vad kostar det? | What does it cost? | Shopping |
| Hur dags? | What time? | Schedule |
| Hur länge? | How long? | Duration |
| Hur gammal är du? | How old are you? | Age |
Examples
Hur mycket kostar den här?
How much does this cost?
Shopping question
Hur dags börjar filmen?
What time does the movie start?
hur dags = what time
Hur länge har du bott här?
How long have you lived here?
hur länge = how long
Hur många personer kommer?
How many people are coming?
hur många = how many