B1 Swedish GrammarAdverbs & Adverb Position
Master Swedish adverbs and their placement in sentences. Learn how to form adverbs from adjectives, understand the critical difference between main clause and subordinate clause word order, and use common adverbs naturally.
1Forming Adverbs from Adjectives
Many Swedish adverbs are formed by adding -t to the adjective (the same as the neuter form). Some adverbs are identical to the adjective, and some common adverbs have unique forms. Unlike English -ly, Swedish uses the simple -t ending.
Adjective to Adverb
| Adjective | Adverb | English |
|---|---|---|
| snabb | snabbt | quickly |
| långsam | långsamt | slowly |
| tyst | tyst | quietly |
| dålig | dåligt | badly |
| vacker | vackert | beautifully |
Examples
Hon springer snabbt.
She runs quickly.
snabb → snabbt
Han talar långsamt.
He speaks slowly.
långsam → långsamt
De arbetar hårt.
They work hard.
hård → hårt
Barnet sjöng vackert.
The child sang beautifully.
vacker → vackert
2Common Adverbs
Swedish has many essential adverbs that don't derive from adjectives. These include time adverbs (nu, idag, igår, imorgon), frequency adverbs (alltid, ofta, ibland, aldrig), and sentence adverbs (inte, kanske, nog, ju). These are among the most frequently used words.
Essential Swedish Adverbs
| Category | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Time | nu, då, sedan, snart | now, then, since, soon |
| Frequency | alltid, ofta, ibland, aldrig | always, often, sometimes, never |
| Degree | mycket, lite, ganska, för | very, a little, quite, too |
| Sentence | inte, kanske, nog, ju | not, maybe, probably, you know |
Examples
Jag tränar ofta på gymmet.
I often work out at the gym.
frequency adverb 'ofta'
Vi ska snart åka hem.
We will soon go home.
time adverb 'snart'
Det är ganska kallt idag.
It's quite cold today.
degree adverb 'ganska'
Han kommer nog imorgon.
He will probably come tomorrow.
sentence adverb 'nog' = probably
3Adverb Position in Main Clauses
In Swedish main clauses, adverbs (especially 'inte', 'alltid', 'aldrig', 'ofta') come AFTER the finite verb. This is different from English where 'not' comes before the main verb. Remember the V2 rule: the verb is always in second position, and adverbs follow it.
Main Clause Word Order
| Position | 1 | 2 (Verb) | 3 (Adverb) | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Jag | äter | inte | kött |
| Standard | Hon | kommer | alltid | i tid |
| Question | -- | Äter | du inte | kött? |
| Inverted | Idag | kan | jag inte | komma |
Examples
Jag förstår inte svenska.
I don't understand Swedish.
'inte' after verb in main clause
Hon dricker aldrig kaffe.
She never drinks coffee.
'aldrig' after verb
Vi har redan ätit.
We have already eaten.
'redan' between auxiliary and main verb
Imorgon kan jag inte komma.
Tomorrow I cannot come.
inverted order: 'inte' after subject
4Adverb Position in Subordinate Clauses
In subordinate clauses (after att, om, när, eftersom, etc.), adverbs come BEFORE the finite verb. This is the opposite of main clauses and is a critical rule in Swedish. The pattern is: conjunction + subject + adverb + verb.
Subordinate Clause Word Order
| Conjunction | Subject | Adverb | Verb | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| att | jag | inte | förstår | svenska |
| om | du | aldrig | har | tid |
| när | hon | alltid | kommer | hem |
| eftersom | vi | inte | kan | simma |
Examples
Jag vet att han inte kommer.
I know that he is not coming.
'inte' before verb in subordinate clause
Om du aldrig tränar, blir du inte stark.
If you never exercise, you won't get strong.
'aldrig' before verb after 'om'
Hon sa att hon redan hade ätit.
She said that she had already eaten.
'redan' before 'hade' in att-clause
Eftersom jag inte kan köra, tar jag bussen.
Since I can't drive, I take the bus.
'inte' before 'kan' in eftersom-clause