Learning Swedish can be an incredibly rewarding experience, especially as you advance to the B1 level, where you’ll find yourself able to engage in more complex conversations and understand more intricate texts. At this stage, expanding your vocabulary becomes crucial. To help you on this journey, I’ve compiled a list of essential Swedish words that every B1 learner should know. These words will not only enhance your ability to communicate but also provide a deeper understanding of the Swedish language and culture.
Everyday Vocabulary
Common Nouns
1. **Vän** (Friend) – Building relationships is key to practicing any language, and knowing the word for “friend” is a great start.
2. **Familj** (Family) – Family is often a central topic in conversations, so this word will come in handy.
3. **Arbete** (Work) – Whether you’re talking about your job or discussing work-related topics, this word is essential.
4. **Skola** (School) – Important for those discussing their education or the education system.
5. **Mat** (Food) – Food is a universal topic, and knowing this word will help you in numerous scenarios.
6. **Hus** (House) – Useful for describing where you live or discussing real estate.
7. **Bok** (Book) – Great for conversations about literature or what you’re currently reading.
8. **Bil** (Car) – Necessary when talking about transportation or travel.
9. **Stad** (City) – Useful for discussing where you live or places you’ve visited.
10. **Affär** (Store) – Important for shopping and discussing where to buy things.
Adjectives
1. **Glad** (Happy) – An essential emotion to describe yourself or others.
2. **Ledsen** (Sad) – Equally important for discussing emotions.
3. **Trött** (Tired) – Useful for describing your state of being.
4. **Hungrig** (Hungry) – Important when discussing food or how you feel.
5. **Vacker** (Beautiful) – Great for describing people, places, or things.
6. **Stor** (Big) – Useful in various contexts to describe size.
7. **Liten** (Small) – The opposite of “stor,” equally important.
8. **Gammal** (Old) – Useful for discussing age or old objects.
9. **Ung** (Young) – Important for discussing age, especially with people.
10. **Snabb** (Fast) – Useful for describing speed in various contexts.
Verbs
1. **Gå** (To go) – Essential for describing movement.
2. **Komma** (To come) – Another crucial verb for movement and direction.
3. **Äta** (To eat) – Important for discussing meals and food.
4. **Dricka** (To drink) – Equally important for discussing beverages.
5. **Sova** (To sleep) – Useful for describing your daily routine.
6. **Läsa** (To read) – Great for discussing books and learning.
7. **Skriva** (To write) – Important for various forms of communication.
8. **Tala** (To speak) – Crucial for language learning and communication.
9. **Lyssna** (To listen) – Important for understanding conversations.
10. **Se** (To see) – Useful for describing what you observe.
Conversational Phrases
Greetings and Farewells
1. **Hej** (Hello) – The most common greeting, suitable for any situation.
2. **God morgon** (Good morning) – Useful for early day greetings.
3. **God kväll** (Good evening) – Perfect for greeting people later in the day.
4. **Hejdå** (Goodbye) – A common way to say farewell.
5. **Vi ses** (See you) – An informal way to say goodbye with the implication of seeing the person again soon.
6. **Trevligt att träffas** (Nice to meet you) – Great for introductions.
7. **Hur mår du?** (How are you?) – A standard way to ask about someone’s well-being.
8. **Jag mår bra** (I’m fine) – A common response to “Hur mår du?”
9. **Vad heter du?** (What is your name?) – Essential for getting to know someone.
10. **Jag heter…** (My name is…) – How you introduce yourself.
Polite Expressions
1. **Tack** (Thank you) – Essential for showing gratitude.
2. **Varsågod** (You’re welcome) – The typical response to “Tack.”
3. **Ursäkta** (Excuse me) – Useful for getting someone’s attention or apologizing.
4. **Förlåt** (Sorry) – Another way to apologize.
5. **Snälla** (Please) – Important for polite requests.
6. **Kan du hjälpa mig?** (Can you help me?) – Essential for seeking assistance.
7. **Jag förstår inte** (I don’t understand) – Useful for clarifying misunderstandings.
8. **Kan du upprepa det?** (Can you repeat that?) – Important for when you need something said again.
9. **Talar du engelska?** (Do you speak English?) – Useful if you’re struggling with Swedish and need to switch languages.
10. **Ja, det gör jag** (Yes, I do) – A positive response to the above question.
Specific Contexts
Shopping
1. **Pris** (Price) – Essential for discussing the cost of items.
2. **Billig** (Cheap) – Useful for describing inexpensive items.
3. **Dyr** (Expensive) – The opposite of “billig,” equally important.
4. **Kund** (Customer) – Important for understanding who you are in a store.
5. **Kassa** (Cash register) – Useful for understanding where to pay.
6. **Kvitto** (Receipt) – Essential for returns or exchanges.
7. **Erbjudande** (Offer) – Useful for understanding sales and discounts.
8. **Storlek** (Size) – Important for clothing shopping.
9. **Byta** (To exchange) – Useful if you need to return or exchange items.
10. **Öppet** (Open) – Useful for knowing if a store is open.
Travel
1. **Tåg** (Train) – Essential for discussing train travel.
2. **Buss** (Bus) – Important for discussing bus travel.
3. **Flygplan** (Airplane) – Useful for air travel.
4. **Biljett** (Ticket) – Essential for purchasing and understanding travel tickets.
5. **Station** (Station) – Useful for finding your way in various transport hubs.
6. **Flygplats** (Airport) – Important for air travel.
7. **Hotell** (Hotel) – Useful for discussing accommodation.
8. **Bagage** (Luggage) – Important for understanding travel requirements.
9. **Pass** (Passport) – Essential for international travel.
10. **Visum** (Visa) – Necessary for understanding travel permissions.
Numbers and Time
Numbers
1. **Ett** (One) – The beginning of counting.
2. **Två** (Two) – Essential for basic arithmetic and counting.
3. **Tre** (Three) – Another fundamental number.
4. **Fyra** (Four) – Useful for various counting scenarios.
5. **Fem** (Five) – Equally important in basic math.
6. **Sex** (Six) – Another essential number.
7. **Sju** (Seven) – Important for counting.
8. **Åtta** (Eight) – Useful in various contexts.
9. **Nio** (Nine) – Another fundamental number.
10. **Tio** (Ten) – Essential for basic counting and arithmetic.
Time
1. **Timme** (Hour) – Essential for discussing time.
2. **Minut** (Minute) – Equally important for understanding time.
3. **Sekund** (Second) – Useful for precise timekeeping.
4. **Dag** (Day) – Important for discussing days and dates.
5. **Vecka** (Week) – Useful for understanding weeks.
6. **Månad** (Month) – Essential for discussing longer periods.
7. **År** (Year) – Useful for understanding annual events.
8. **Morgon** (Morning) – Important for discussing times of the day.
9. **Eftermiddag** (Afternoon) – Equally important.
10. **Kväll** (Evening) – Another essential time of day.
Describing People and Relationships
Family Members
1. **Mamma** (Mother) – Essential for discussing family.
2. **Pappa** (Father) – Equally important.
3. **Bror** (Brother) – Useful for family discussions.
4. **Syster** (Sister) – Another essential family member.
5. **Barn** (Child) – Important for discussing children.
6. **Son** (Son) – Useful for specific family discussions.
7. **Dotter** (Daughter) – Another important family term.
8. **Farfar** (Grandfather) – Useful for discussing extended family.
9. **Farmor** (Grandmother) – Equally important.
10. **Kusin** (Cousin) – Useful for discussing other family members.
Describing Characteristics
1. **Lång** (Tall) – Useful for describing height.
2. **Kort** (Short) – The opposite of “lång,” equally important.
3. **Tjock** (Fat) – Useful for describing body types.
4. **Smal** (Thin) – The opposite of “tjock.”
5. **Stark** (Strong) – Useful for describing physical strength.
6. **Svag** (Weak) – The opposite of “stark.”
7. **Snäll** (Kind) – Useful for describing personality.
8. **Elak** (Mean) – The opposite of “snäll.”
9. **Rolig** (Funny) – Important for describing a sense of humor.
10. **Tråkig** (Boring) – Useful for describing the opposite of fun.
Food and Drink
Common Foods
1. **Bröd** (Bread) – A staple food item.
2. **Mjölk** (Milk) – Essential for discussing dairy products.
3. **Ost** (Cheese) – Another important dairy product.
4. **Kött** (Meat) – Useful for discussing non-vegetarian food.
5. **Grönsaker** (Vegetables) – Essential for discussing healthy eating.
6. **Frukt** (Fruit) – Another important food group.
7. **Fisk** (Fish) – Useful for discussing seafood.
8. **Ris** (Rice) – A staple in many diets.
9. **Pasta** (Pasta) – Another common food item.
10. **Soppa** (Soup) – Useful for discussing different types of meals.
Common Drinks
1. **Vatten** (Water) – Essential for discussing beverages.
2. **Kaffe** (Coffee) – Very important in Swedish culture.
3. **Te** (Tea) – Another common beverage.
4. **Juice** (Juice) – Useful for discussing fruit drinks.
5. **Öl** (Beer) – Important for discussing alcoholic beverages.
6. **Vin** (Wine) – Another common alcoholic drink.
7. **Läsk** (Soda) – Useful for discussing soft drinks.
8. **Mjölk** (Milk) – Also a beverage.
9. **Chokladmjölk** (Chocolate milk) – A sweet drink.
10. **Smoothie** (Smoothie) – Useful for discussing blended drinks.
Weather and Nature
Weather Conditions
1. **Sol** (Sun) – Essential for discussing sunny weather.
2. **Regn** (Rain) – Useful for discussing rainy conditions.
3. **Snö** (Snow) – Important for discussing winter weather.
4. **Vind** (Wind) – Useful for describing windy conditions.
5. **Moln** (Cloud) – Important for describing cloudy weather.
6. **Åska** (Thunder) – Useful for discussing stormy weather.
7. **Storm** (Storm) – Another important weather condition.
8. **Dimma** (Fog) – Useful for describing foggy weather.
9. **Hagel** (Hail) – Important for discussing extreme weather.
10. **Blixt** (Lightning) – Useful for storm descriptions.
Natural Elements
1. **Träd** (Tree) – Essential for discussing nature.
2. **Blomma** (Flower) – Useful for discussing plants.
3. **Berg** (Mountain) – Important for geographical discussions.
4. **Sjön** (Lake) – Useful for discussing bodies of water.
5. **Hav** (Sea) – Another important natural element.
6. **Flod** (River) – Useful for discussing waterways.
7. **Strand** (Beach) – Important for discussing coastal areas.
8. **Skog** (Forest) – Useful for discussing wooded areas.
9. **Öken** (Desert) – Another geographical term.
10. **Fält** (Field) – Useful for discussing open spaces.
Health and Body
Parts of the Body
1. **Huvud** (Head) – Essential for discussing body parts.
2. **Arm** (Arm) – Useful for describing limbs.
3. **Ben** (Leg) – Another important limb.
4. **Hand** (Hand) – Useful for describing extremities.
5. **Fot** (Foot) – Another important body part.
6. **Mage** (Stomach) – Useful for discussing health.
7. **Hjärta** (Heart) – Essential for health discussions.
8. **Lunga** (Lung) – Important for respiratory discussions.
9. **Hjärna** (Brain) – Useful for discussing intelligence and health.
10. **Hud** (Skin) – Another important body part.
Health and Illness
1. **Sjuk** (Sick) – Essential for discussing illness.
2. **Feber** (Fever) – Useful for describing symptoms.
3. **Hosta** (Cough) – Another common symptom.
4. **Ont** (Pain) – Important for describing discomfort.
5. **Medicinsk** (Medical) – Useful for health discussions.
6. **Läkare** (Doctor) – Essential for discussing healthcare.
7. **Apotek** (Pharmacy) – Important for discussing where to get medicine.
8. **Recept** (Prescription) – Useful for understanding medical requirements.
9. **Sjukhus** (Hospital) – Essential for emergency discussions.
10. **Vård** (Care) – Useful for discussing healthcare in general.
Expanding your vocabulary at the B1 level will significantly enhance your ability to communicate effectively in Swedish. These words and phrases cover a wide range of topics and contexts that you are likely to encounter. By integrating these words into your daily practice, you’ll find yourself becoming more fluent and confident in your Swedish language skills. Happy learning!
