What you will learn
You can describe a normal day with common verbs in the present.
Three ways to make the present
In chapter 1 you met five verbs in the present, such as bor and talar. Most Swedish verbs make the present in one of three ways. As before, the present form is the same for every person, so jag jobbar, hon jobbar and de jobbar all use jobbar.
The Swedish present covers both I work and I am working. Jag läser can mean I read or I am reading.
Verbs that add r
The dictionary form ends in a. The present keeps the a and adds r. Talar from chapter 1 works this way.
| Dictionary form | Present form | English |
|---|---|---|
| vakna | vaknar | wake up |
| duscha | duschar | have a shower |
| jobba | jobbar | work |
| börja | börjar | start |
| sluta | slutar | finish |
| laga mat | lagar mat | cook |
| titta | tittar | look, watch |
| städa | städar | clean |
| träna | tränar | exercise |
| prata | pratar | talk |
| lyssna | lyssnar | listen |
| baka | bakar | bake |
| somna | somnar | fall asleep |
Verbs that drop the a and add er
Here the a at the end goes away, and er comes in its place. Kommer from chapter 1 works this way.
| Dictionary form | Present form | English |
|---|---|---|
| äta | äter | eat |
| dricka | dricker | drink |
| läsa | läser | read, study |
| sova | sover | sleep |
Short verbs that add r
Some verbs are short and do not end in a. They add only r. Bor from chapter 1 works this way.
| Dictionary form | Present form | English |
|---|---|---|
| se | ser | see, watch |
| gå upp | går upp | get up |
In this chapter, går is used only in går upp. Other uses of gå come in a later chapter.
One verb with its own present
| Dictionary form | Present form | English |
|---|---|---|
| göra | gör | do |
Gör has no ending at all. Är from chapter 1 is another verb with its own present.
Learn the present with each verb
Jobba and läsa both end in a, but one takes ar and the other takes er. You often cannot tell from the dictionary form, so learn the two forms together. The vocabulary page always shows both.
Examples
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Jag vaknar och duschar. | I wake up and have a shower. |
| Greta bakar bröd. | Greta bakes bread. |
| Kenji dricker kaffe och äter frukost. | Kenji drinks coffee and eats breakfast. |
| Hen läser en bok. | They are reading a book. (one person who uses hen) |
| Vad gör du? Jag städar. | What are you doing? I am cleaning. |
| Katten sover. | The cat is sleeping. |
Verbs that go with another word
| Swedish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| titta på | look at, watch | De tittar på tv. (They are watching TV.) |
| lyssna på | listen to | Hon lyssnar på Elin. (She is listening to Elin.) |
| laga mat | cook | Jonas lagar mat. (Jonas is cooking.) |
| gå upp | get up | Jag går upp nu. (I am getting up now.) |
Meals, work and school
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Vi äter lunch. | We are having lunch. |
| Jag dricker te. | I drink tea. |
| Hon jobbar på ett kafé. | She works at a café. |
| Han är på jobbet. | He is at work. |
| Ida är i skolan. | Ida is at school. |
Kaffe and te are used without en or ett, as in Jag dricker te. Äta frukost, äta lunch and äta middag mean have breakfast, have lunch and have dinner. Kafé is also spelled café.
Jag är trött means I am tired. In this chapter, trött is used about one person.
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Han läsar en bok. | Han läser en bok. | Läsa drops the a and adds er. |
| Vad görar du? | Vad gör du? | Göra has its own short present, gör. |
| Hon tränars. | Hon tränar. | The present form never changes for he or she. |
| Jag duscha nu. | Jag duschar nu. | In a sentence about now, use the present form. |