Free intermediate Swedish, for when the beginner apps run out
Most free Swedish material stops at the basics. This shelf is for the long middle stretch: stories you can listen to, real texts with tap-to-translate, test practice and conversations from daily life. Everything is free and needs no account.
Short stories with audio
Original stories in today's Swedish, 350 to 600 words, read aloud. Tap any word for its meaning, then answer the questions.
- Första veckan på lagretA2 · 365 words
Amir's first week at a warehouse goes wrong in small ways, until Friday.
- Bussen som aldrig komA2 · 375 words
Karim and a stranger wait half an hour for a bus that is never coming.
- PlånbokenA2 · 356 words
Hassan's lost wallet comes back in the post, twenty kronor short.
- Grannens hundA2 · 408 words
Ali is afraid of dogs. Then his neighbour breaks a leg.
- TvättmaskinenB1 · 482 words
Daniel's washing machine dies, the landlord needs ten working days, and the laundry room has rules.
- Skidor från BlocketB1 · 505 words
Tariq promises his son he can ski. He can't, and his second-hand skis aren't helping.
- FC KaffepausB1 · 490 words
A works football team with no points all season gets an unlikely coach.
- Den sista fråganB1 · 508 words
Elias has practised every interview question except the one he gets.
- StrömavbrottetB1 · 486 words
Minus twenty-six in Luleå, the power goes out, and a twelve-year-old has a box.
- En rolig presentationB1 · 481 words
Yusuf's boss calls his serious presentation ”rolig”. Was everyone laughing at him?
Classic Swedish texts
All readersExcerpts from Swedish literature in the public domain, with a glossary and questions. Older grammar, explained.
- BubbelemuckB1 · Elsa Beskow
A little creature, half mermaid and half troll, grows up by a forest lake and longs for wings.
- Pojken som inte ville gå i kyrkanB1 · Selma Lagerlöf
The famous first page: lazy, mean fourteen-year-old Nils is left at home with a sermon to read.
- Pojken förstår djurens språkB1 · Selma Lagerlöf
Shrunk to the size of a thumb, Nils discovers he can understand the farm animals, and they all have something to say about him.
- Staden på havsbottenB2 · Selma Lagerlöf
On Easter night a stork flies Nils to an empty beach, where a medieval city rises out of the sand.
- Morbror RubenB2 · Selma Lagerlöf
A three-year-old dies after a nap on a cold stone step, and becomes the most important child in the family.
Listen
Our free course as a podcast, and real Swedish videos with a transcript and word list.
- Complete Swedish, the podcastA1–A2
All 49 lessons as audio, with a transcript for every episode.
- Tala svenska med självförtroende - 5 steg (podd på lätt svenska)A2–B1 · 27 min
Swedish Linguist
- Lär dig förstå talad svenska - 5 tipsA2–B1 · 29 min
Swedish Linguist
- Regler för dubbelkonsonanter (kall, platt, kyss) SFIA2–B1 · 12 min
Peter SFI
- Svenska språket - Tankar och tips 14 -Lyssnarvänligt uttalA2–B1 · 4 min
Svenska med Kalle
- Uttala vokaler (Hur gör man?) SFIA2–B1 · 9 min
Peter SFI
- Han, honom, hans, sin, sitt, sina (använd rätt pronomen) SFIA2–B1 · 17 min
Peter SFI
Life in Sweden
All situationsWhat people actually say at the pharmacy, on the phone with Försäkringskassan and at the health centre.
- Returning an itemA2
Returns depend on the shop's own rules, so expect questions about the receipt, the date and whether the item has been used.
- At the pharmacyA2
Prescriptions in Sweden are electronic and linked to your personal identity number, so the pharmacist will ask for that number and your ID before anything else.
- A delayed trainB1
Platform announcements are fast, recorded and full of fixed phrases. Knowing a handful of them tells you whether to wait, change platform or look for a bus.
- At the health centre receptionA2
The vårdcentral is your local GP clinic. At the desk you register, show ID and pay the patient fee, and the receptionist uses a few fixed questions.
Tests and goals
Practise for the tests that ask for B1, and check where you are.
- SFI course C mock testA2–B1
Reading and listening, timed, marked at the end.
- SFI course D mock testB1
The full reading and listening parts, like on test day.
- Citizenship test: the Swedish you needA2–B1
Every topic of Sverige i fokus in easy Swedish, with words and questions.
- Swedish level testA1–B2
Forty questions, about fifteen minutes, with a plan for what to learn next.