What you will learn
You can use the days of the week and words such as i dag, i morgon and på kvällen.
The days of the week
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| måndag | Monday |
| tisdag | Tuesday |
| onsdag | Wednesday |
| torsdag | Thursday |
| fredag | Friday |
| lördag | Saturday |
| söndag | Sunday |
In Swedish, the days start with a small letter unless they begin a sentence. Det är onsdag i dag means it is Wednesday today.
Once or every week
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| på måndag | on Monday, this coming Monday |
| på måndagar | on Mondays, every Monday |
| Vi tränar på måndag. | We are exercising on Monday. (this coming Monday, once) |
| Vi tränar på måndagar. | We exercise on Mondays. (every week) |
The ending ar in måndagar makes the word plural, more than one Monday. For now, learn på måndagar as a fixed phrase for every Monday. Plurals come in a later chapter. All seven days work the same way, as in på fredag and på fredagar.
Today, tomorrow and this evening
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| i dag | today |
| i morgon | tomorrow |
| i kväll | this evening, tonight |
You may also see them written as one word, idag, imorgon and ikväll. Both ways are correct. In speech, i morgon usually sounds like imorron.
I morgon looks like morgon, morning, but it means tomorrow. Good morning is still God morgon, as in chapter 1.
With a time word such as i morgon or på måndag, the present can also be about the future. Marta jobbar i morgon means Marta is working tomorrow.
Parts of the day
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| på morgonen | in the morning |
| på förmiddagen | in the late morning, before noon |
| på eftermiddagen | in the afternoon |
| på kvällen | in the evening |
| på natten | at night |
After på, the part of the day takes the definite form you know from chapter 2, so morgonen, eftermiddagen, kvällen and natten. These phrases often describe what usually happens.
I kväll is this evening, today only. På kvällen is in the evening, and it often means on any day.
Förmiddag is the part of the morning before noon. Eftermiddag is after noon. Mitt på dagen means in the middle of the day, and vid midnatt means around midnight. The boundaries of morning and evening depend on the situation, so do not treat an everyday greeting as a strict clock rule.
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Jag läser på förmiddagen. | I read in the late morning. |
| Vi äter mitt på dagen. | We eat in the middle of the day. |
| Hon kommer vid midnatt. | She arrives around midnight. |
Every
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| varje dag | every day |
| varje vecka | every week |
| varje morgon | every morning |
| varje kväll | every evening |
After varje, the word has no en, no ett and no ending.
Examples
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Marta jobbar i morgon. | Marta is working tomorrow. |
| Vi lagar mat i kväll. | We are cooking this evening. |
| Hon läser på kvällen. | She reads in the evening. |
| Han jobbar på natten. | He works at night. |
| Jag dricker te varje morgon. | I drink tea every morning. |
| Det är söndag i dag. Jag jobbar inte. | It is Sunday today. I am not working. |
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Vi tränar på Måndag. | Vi tränar på måndag. | Days start with a small letter. |
| på måndagar | På måndag is one Monday, the coming one. | |
| Jag tränar på morgon. | Jag tränar på morgonen. | With a part of the day, på takes the definite form, morgonen. |
| Jag jobbar i morgonen. | Jag jobbar i morgon. | Tomorrow is i morgon, with no ending. |
| varje dagen | varje dag | After varje, the word has no ending. |