What you will learn
You can give and follow short instructions, such as directions in town.
Making the imperative
The imperative is the verb form for instructions and requests, like turn and wait in English. In Swedish you make it from the present form.
| The present form | What you do | Present | Imperative |
|---|---|---|---|
| ends in -ar | take away -r | frågar | fråga |
| ends in -er | take away -er | svänger | sväng |
| is a short verb with -r | take away -r | går | gå |
Verbs with -ar keep their a, so the imperative looks like the dictionary form. Verbs with -er lose the whole ending. Short verbs such as gå, ta and se also look like the dictionary form.
Kommer gives kom, with one m, because Swedish does not end this word in mm.
More verbs
| Dictionary form | Present | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| vänta | väntar | vänta | wait |
| cykla | cyklar | cykla | cycle |
| titta | tittar | titta | look |
| lyssna | lyssnar | lyssna | listen |
| åka | åker | åk | go, ride |
| läsa | läser | läs | read |
| köpa | köper | köp | buy |
| äta | äter | ät | eat |
| dricka | dricker | drick | drink |
| komma | kommer | kom | come |
| ta | tar | ta | take |
| se | ser | se | see, look |
The vocabulary page lists the imperative of every verb in this chapter.
Directions
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Gå rakt fram. | Go straight on. |
| Sväng till vänster vid kyrkan. | Turn left at the church. |
| Sväng till höger här. | Turn right here. |
| Ta bussen till torget. | Take the bus to the square. |
| Gå av vid nästa hållplats. | Get off at the next stop. |
| Fråga på apoteket. | Ask at the chemist’s. |
| Vänta här, tack. | Wait here, please. |
Till höger and till vänster mean to the right and to the left. They can also mean on the right and on the left. You will also hear sväng höger and sväng vänster without till, and both are correct. Rakt fram means straight on.
Saying do not
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Sväng inte här. | Do not turn here. |
| Gå inte nu. | Do not go now. |
In short instructions like these, inte comes right after the verb. Swedish needs no extra word like do.
Polite and clear
Short instructions are normal in Swedish when you give directions. To sound softer, add tack, as in Vänta här, tack, or ask with kan du, as in Kan du vänta här?
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Svänger till vänster vid kyrkan. | Sväng till vänster vid kyrkan. | Svänger is the present form. An instruction uses sväng. |
| Fråg på apoteket. | Fråga på apoteket. | Verbs with -ar keep the a. |
| Komm! | Kom! | Kommer gives kom, with one m. |
| Inte sväng här. | Sväng inte här. | Inte comes right after the verb. |