Why build sentences yourself
Reading a rule like “the verb comes second” takes ten seconds. Using it while you speak takes hundreds of sentences. Lingolib's method is to build every sentence yourself, and this trainer does exactly that: you see the English, you put the Swedish together, and you hear it read aloud. 79 of the sentences come straight from the free Complete Swedish Season 1 course, so you can hear them in context in the lesson they come from.
The five rules this trainer checks
1. Verb second (V2)
In a main clause the finite verb is always the second element. Anything can go first, but only one thing, and if it is not the subject, the subject moves behind the verb.
| First element | Verb | Subject | Rest | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jag | åt | – | fisk igår. | I ate fish yesterday. |
| Igår | åt | jag | fisk. | Yesterday I ate fish. |
| Fisk | åt | jag | igår. | Fish is what I ate yesterday. |
| När jag kom hem | åt | jag | fisk. | When I got home I ate fish. |
The classic learner mistake is to keep English order after a time word: Igår jag åt. Swedes understand it, but it is the first thing they hear as foreign.
2. Questions
| Type | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yes/no question | Talar du svenska? | Do you speak Swedish? |
| With a modal verb | Kan du komma i kväll? | Can you come tonight? |
| Question word | Var bor du? | Where do you live? |
| Question word as subject | Vem har tagit min kopp? | Who's taken my cup? |
| Indirect question | Vet du var stationen ligger? | Do you know where the station is? |
3. Where inte goes in a main clause
Inte goes straight after the finite verb, or after the subject when the subject follows the verb. With two verbs it sits between them. Aldrig, alltid, ofta, redan, också and bara go in the same slot.
| Pattern | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Subject first | Jag dricker inte kaffe. | I don't drink coffee. |
| Two verbs | Jag kan inte komma. | I can't come. |
| Perfect tense | Jag har inte sett den. | I haven't seen it. |
| Question | Kommer du inte i kväll? | Aren't you coming tonight? |
| Fronted time | Idag jobbar jag inte. | I'm not working today. |
4. Subordinate clauses and BIFF
A subordinate clause starts with a word like att, som, om, när, eftersom, därför att, innan or a question word in an indirect question. Inside it there is no V2: the subject comes first, and inte comes before the verb (BIFF: i Bisats kommer Inte Före det Finita verbet).
| Main clause | Subordinate clause |
|---|---|
| Han gillar inte fisk. | Jag vet att han inte gillar fisk. |
| Hon har aldrig varit där. | Hon säger att hon aldrig har varit där. |
| Var ligger stationen? | Vet du var stationen ligger? |
| Vi mår inte bra. | Vi stannar hemma eftersom vi inte mår bra. |
A subordinate clause can also go first. It then fills position one on its own, and the main clause verb follows straight after it: Om det regnar stannar vi hemma.
5. How, where, when
When several adverbials pile up at the end of a clause, Swedish usually says how, then where, then when. Time is also the adverbial most often moved to the front.
| Subject + verb | How | Where | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Han sprang | snabbt | hem | efter skolan. |
| Barnen lekte | glatt | i parken | hela eftermiddagen. |
| Vi ses | – | på kaféet | klockan tre. |
How to use the trainer
- Start at A1 with All rules, or pick one rule under Focus if you know your weak spot.
- Say the sentence aloud before you press Check. Then press Listen and compare.
- Use Hint when you are stuck: it places the next correct word and keeps the right beginning.
- Sentences you have built are remembered in this browser, and unbuilt ones come first next time.
For the full picture, read our guide to Swedish sentence structure, or watch Lesson 42 on word order with time expressions from the free course. Related drills: time prepositions, particle verbs and confusing word pairs.
Sentences marked “from the free course” are taken from Lingolib's Complete Swedish Season 1 lessons; the rest were written for this trainer. Audio uses your device's own Swedish voice.
Frequently asked questions
What is the V2 rule in Swedish?
In a Swedish main clause the finite verb (the one that shows tense: talar, åt, har, ska) is always the second element. The first element can be the subject, but also a time word, a place, an object or a whole clause. If it is not the subject, the subject moves behind the verb: Jag åt fisk igår, but Igår åt jag fisk.
Where does inte go in a Swedish sentence?
In a main clause, straight after the finite verb: Jag talar inte svenska. If the subject comes after the verb, inte follows the subject: Talar du inte svenska? Igår jobbade jag inte. In a subordinate clause inte moves in front of the finite verb: … att jag inte talar svenska. Words like aldrig, alltid, ofta, redan and också take the same places.
What does BIFF mean?
It is a memory aid used in Swedish classrooms: i Bisats kommer Inte Före det Finita verbet, in a subordinate clause inte comes before the finite verb. So: Jag vet att han inte gillar fisk, not att han gillar inte fisk.
How do you form a question in Swedish?
Put the verb first for a yes/no question: Talar du svenska? Kan du komma? There is no helper verb like English "do". With a question word, the question word comes first and the verb second: Vad heter du? Var bor du? Inside an indirect question the order is straight again: Vet du var stationen ligger?
Is it time-manner-place in Swedish, like in German?
No. At the end of a Swedish clause the usual order is how, where, when: Han sprang snabbt hem efter skolan. Swedes very often move the time to the front instead (Efter skolan sprang han snabbt hem), and then the V2 rule applies.
Why is my order marked wrong when it sounds possible?
Each sentence stores every natural order we know of, including fronted versions like Igår var jag hemma. Swedish allows a lot of fronting for emphasis, so you may occasionally build an unusual but grammatical order that is not on the list. The feedback then explains the order a Swede would most likely use.