Language/Swedish/Grammar/How-to-Use-Be
Hi Swedish learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will focus on the verb "be" in Swedish. The verb "be" is used to describe a state of being or existence in a certain condition, such as "I am happy" or "He is tall". This is an important concept to master in order to form accurate and grammatically correct sentences in Swedish. Let's get started! 🚀
After mastering this lesson, these related pages might interest you: Future tense & How to express disagreement.
Present Tense[edit | edit source]
The present tense of "be" is "är" in Swedish. This is used to describe a current condition, such as "I am happy". Here are some examples:
| Swedish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jag är glad | (yahg ahr glahd) | I am happy |
| Han är lång | (hahn ahr long) | He is tall |
| Hon är trött | (hohn ahr trött) | She is tired |
| Vi är hungriga | (vee ahr hoong-ri-ga) | We are hungry |
Here is a dialogue to illustrate the use of present tense:
- Person 1: Hej, hur mår du idag? (Hi, how are you today?)
- Person 2: Jag är bra, tack. Hur är du? (I am good, thank you. How are you?)
Past Tense[edit | edit source]
The past tense of "be" is "var" in Swedish. This is used to describe a state of being or existence in the past, such as "He was happy" or "She was tired". Here are some examples:
| Swedish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jag var sjuk | (yahg var shuk) | I was sick |
| Han var glad | (hahn var glahd) | He was happy |
| Hon var trött | (hohn var trött) | She was tired |
| Vi var hungriga | (vee var hoong-ri-ga) | We were hungry |
Here is a dialogue to illustrate the use of past tense:
- Person 1: Vad gjorde du igår? (What did you do yesterday?)
- Person 2: Jag var hemma hela dagen. (I was at home all day.)
Future Tense[edit | edit source]
The future tense of "be" is "kommer att vara" in Swedish. This is used to describe a state of being or existence that will happen in the future, such as "I will be happy" or "You will be tired". Here are some examples:
| Swedish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jag kommer att vara glad | (yahg koh-mer aht vah-ra glahd) | I will be happy |
| Du kommer att vara trött | (doo koh-mer aht vah-ra trött) | You will be tired |
| Hon kommer att vara hemma imorgon | (hohn koh-mer aht vah-ra hem-mah eem-or-gon) | She will be at home tomorrow |
| Vi kommer att vara hungriga efter resan | (vee koh-mer aht vah-ra hoong-ri-ga ehf-ter reh-san) | We will be hungry after the trip |
Here is a dialogue to illustrate the use of future tense:
- Person 1: Ska du vara med på mötet imorgon? (Are you going to be in the meeting tomorrow?)
- Person 2: Ja, jag kommer att vara där. (Yes, I will be there.)
Negation[edit | edit source]
To form a negative sentence using "be" in Swedish, simply add "inte" after the verb. For example, "I am not happy" would be "Jag är inte glad". Here are some examples:
| Swedish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Jag är inte hungrig | (yahg är inte hoong-ri-g) | I am not hungry |
| Han är inte trött | (hahn är inte trött) | He is not tired |
| Hon var inte glad igår | (hohn var inte glahd ee-yor) | She was not happy yesterday |
| Vi kommer inte att vara där | (vee koh-mer inte aht vah-ra dä)r | We will not be there |
Here is a dialogue to illustrate negation:
- Person 1: Är du hungrig? (Are you hungry?)
- Person 2: Nej, jag är inte hungrig. (No, I am not hungry.)
Questions[edit | edit source]
To form a question using "be" in Swedish, simply swap the positions of the subject and the verb. For example, "Are you happy?" would be "Är du glad?". Here are some examples:
| Swedish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Är du hungrig? | (ä:r doo hoong-ri-g) | Are you hungry? |
| Var hon trött? | (var hohn trött) | Was she tired? |
| Kommer vi vara klara imorgon? | (koh-mer vee vah-ra klahra eem-or-gon) | Will we be done tomorrow? |
| Är det för kallt idag? | (ä:r de:t för kahlt ee-dahg) | Is it too cold today? |
Here is a dialogue to illustrate questions:
- Person 1: Är du ledig imorgon? (Are you free tomorrow?)
- Person 2: Ja, jag är ledig imorgon. (Yes, I am free tomorrow.)
To sum up, the verb "be" in Swedish is an important building block for forming accurate and grammatically correct sentences. Whether you're describing your current state of being, talking about the past, or planning for the future, mastering the use of "be" will help you communicate more effectively in Swedish. Keep practicing and don't forget to use Find native speakers and ask them any questions you may have. You can also check out the Swedish grammar page on Polyglot Club to learn more. Lycka till! (Good luck!)
➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎