Verbs: Group 3

Hey guys, it's verb time again. Today's post is going to be a short one, and for good reason.
What reason is that? Well, we're talking about Group 3 verbs today, and the third group (like the first two) is easy so it won't take long.

Let's get to it.

Group 3 verbs have a stem that ends in a vowel other than -a.
The Infinitive will be the same as the stem.
The Present will end in -r.
The Past Imperfect ends in -dde.
The Past Perfect ends in -tt.

Example: att tro - to believe
                 Jag tror - I believe
                 Jag trodde - I believed
                 Jag har trott - I have believed

And that's all there is to Group 3. Below are some Group 3 verbs to practice with. As always, you can find these words on the (currently evolving) memrise course. I use it to learn the definitions of the words I'm learning to conjugate.

tror - believe

syr - sew

mår - feel

bor - live/stay

flyr - flee


Tack så mycket for stopping by.
Dustin

Are you a Swede or familiar with Swedish grammar? Do you have questions, comments, or random statements you just can't hold in? Leave a comment below or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com.

Soft Consonants

So, I mentioned in an earlier post, that a 'k' placed next to 'ö' sounds like a 'sh'. But it's not just 'ö' that causes a change, and it's not only 'k' that changes.

This is an easy pattern (easier than verbs), and I picked it up fairly quickly.

The consonants are G, K, and SK. Normally these consonants will make the same sound they make in English.
However, if you place one of these consonants next to E, I, Y, Ä, or Ö, the sounds get softer.

*For the nitpickers* Technically S and K are two consonants put together, but for this post I'll be referring to them as one.

Just for the record, I've never liked the whole hard and soft consonants thing. It has always confused me. I once had a Russian try to explain it to me (about the Russian sounds) and I ended up more confused than I started. There should be a better way to describe this. Maybe I'll come up with something later.

Back on topic. G, when placed next to one of the vowels above, will make the sound of a Swedish J.
Example: Gillar

K, will make the SH sound.
Example: Köpper

 And SK makes the Swedish SJ sound.
Example: Skära

The SJ sound is tricky. Some people say it's close to the German 'ch' sound but I don't hear it. I do believe that it is important enough to get its own post, and I'll try to do that soon.

Until then, keep practicing.

Tack så mycket for stopping by.

*edit* It seems this guy gives a good explanation of soft consonants as well. I guess I got it right.

Are you a Swede or at least familiar with Swedish grammar? Did this post make sense to you? Let me know how I'm doing. Leave a comment below or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com.

Pronouns

When I started this blog almost a month ago, the weather was warm. Now, it's starting to get cold. I know that it's only been a month since I started, but I feel like I'm not moving fast enough to meet my goal. I want to start speaking competently, and as soon as possible. So, while I'm learning the last two groups of verbs, I'll also be taking on other parts of speech. The sooner I understand the parts, the sooner I can understand the mechanics of using them together. When that happens, you may be seeing video updates in Swedish.

So today I want to talk about pronouns. Pronouns refer to whoever is speaking or is being spoken to, or is being spoken about.

Example 1: I - jag
                 you - du
                 he - han
                 she - hon
                 we - vi
                 them - de/dom

Example 2: me - mig
                     you - du
                    him - honom
                    her - hennes
                    us - oss
                    them - dem/dom

Example 3: my/mine - min
                    your(s) - din
                    his - hans
                    her(s) - hennes
                    our(s) - vår
                    their(s) - deras

So with these, we are one step closer to forming complete sentences.

I feel a little better now that I've picked up a little new information. I knew a lot of these already, but not all.

Tack så mycket for stopping by.
Dustin.

Verbs: Group 2

Hey guys, it's that time again. Today we're covering Group 2 verbs. And before we start, I have to put my disclaimer out there.

***The information I provide here is what I have learned so far. I believe it to be correct as I have learned it. However, there is a chance for error. If you spot an error or think you can explain it better, please contact me right away. My goal is to keep these posts updated with correct information, not only for me, but for anyone who follows after me.***

Alright. Let's get to it.

You may remember from Group 1 verbs (I hope you remember) that the stem always ends in -a and the present tense in -ar.

For Group 2 verbs, the stem ends in a consonant. The infinitive will still end in -a. The present tense will end in -er. The past imperfect will end in either -de or -te. And the past perfect will end in -d, -t, and -da, or -t, -t, and -ta.

This may sound confusing at first, but it gets easier. Just stay with me.

Group 2 is split into two sub groups. 2a and 2b. Which group a verb falls into is decided by the stem.
If a stem ends in a voiced consonant (such as -g in ring) it is 2a. If the stem ends in a voiceless consonant (such as -p in köp) it is 2b.

Example 2a: Ring - ring
                    att ringa - to ring
                   Jag ringer - I ring
                   Jag ringde - I rang
                   Jag har ringt - I have rang

Example 2b: köp - buy
                        att köpa - to buy
                        Jag köper - I buy (am buying)
                        Jag köpte - I bought
                        Jag har köpt - I have bought

*note: The 'k' placed next to the 'ö' in this situation, sounds like an 'sh'. We'll go over that in another post.*

That's it for Group 2. With a little practice, these should be as easy as Group 1. Here are some Group 2 verbs to practice with, which you can also find in the memrise course.

köper - buy
ringer - ring
åker - go / ride / drive
hjälper - help
läser - read
stänger - close
behöver - need
tycker - think
försöker - try

That's it. Tack så mycket for stopping by.
Hej då.

Are you a Swede, or just familiar with Swedish grammar? Let me know how I'm doing. Leave a comment below or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com.

Memrise Course

Hej guys. Just a quick post to let you know what's up.

Group 2 verbs will be up in a day or so. Be sure to come back for that. In addition to the verb posts, I'm making a memrise course that corresponds to the posts. The section for Group 1 verbs is already done and I'll be updating the course as I update the blog.

I may create more courses as I learn more about the language and interesting topics. If I do, I will be sure to share with you.

If you'd like to try the course (and give some feedback), click this link.

Come back soon for the next post.

Tack så mycket for stopping by.
Hej då.

Verbs: Group 1

Ok guys, it's time to get down to it. This is the post about Group 1 verbs. Please keep in mind that we're learning this together. Unless, you already know this stuff. Then you're just watching me learn.
The information I'm putting here is what I believe to be correct as I have learned it. There is a chance for error. If I find an error, I will edit it with the correct information. If you find an error, please let me know so I can fix it as soon as possible.

Alright, enough of that. Let's learn how to work with Group 1 verbs.

Group 1 is probably the easiest group to work with. About 80% of Swedish verbs are in the first group, and conjugation follows a very easy to learn pattern.

The first thing we need to do is find the stem of a verb. Let's start with öppnar (open).

Here it's in the present form, which is how you'll probably encounter most verbs.
Example: Jag öppnar dörren. - I open the door.

If you remove the -r from öppnar, you get öppna. Öppna is the stem.

With Group 1, the stems will all end in -a. This means that all present tenses will end in -ar.

Easy enough, right?

The infinitive form will be the same as the stem. Öppna

The Past Imperfect will end in -de. Öppnade

The Supine form, which makes Past Perfect, will end in -t. Öppnat


Examples: att öppna - to open

                   Jag öppnar dörren. - I open the door.
                 
                  Jag öppnade dörren. - I opened the door.

                  Jag har öppnat dörren. - I have opened the door.


That's it! All group 1 verbs conjugate this way.

Do you want to give it a try? Below are some group 1 verbs in the present form (with translation). See if you can conjugate them. Also, you can use this site to practice conjugating.

öppnar - open
stoppar - stop
betalar - pay
börjar - begin
kollar - check. look at/ watch
visar - show
hittar - find
älska - love
talar - speak
arbetar - work
hoppar - jump
slutar - stop, cease, end
smakar - taste
svarar - answer
gillar - like
jobbar - work
dansar - dance
frågar - ask
lyssnar - listen

How did you do? I'm willing to bet you did pretty well.

That's it for Group 1. I'll be back in a few days for Group 2.

Thanks for stopping by.

Are you Swedish or just familiar with Swedish grammar? Let me know how I did. Leave a comment, question, or correction in the comments below or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com.

Verbs Introduction

I said I was going to do it, and here it is. The first verbs post. This will be the first in a series of posts covering verbs and how to conjugate them. I decided to break it up into multiple posts. The reason is that Swedish has four groups of verbs. So each post will cover one group, and we can digest it all in smaller, more manageable chunks.

This is the introduction. I thought that these things should be accessible to beginners and those without a lot of grammar experience. So I'm just breaking down terms. The first group of verbs will be in the next post. That should be up tomorrow, or very shortly after.

Before we start, I want to cover some general information about verbs, so we can all do this together. And keep in mind, this is what I've learned and believe to be correct. Any corrections are welcomed.

First, the verbs don't change according to people or number. This means that no matter who is doing it, or how many of them there are, the verb stays the same. Neat!

Second, there is no subjunctive case. Ok, that's not entirely true. There is a subjunctive in Swedish, but from what I've found, it's seen as archaic and therefore not used.... Except for the word vore, which is equivalent to 'would be' or 'were' in the conditional form. But even that is optional. So don't worry about it right now.

Swedish verbs do change according to tense. Again, so we can all be on the same page, I'll give a quick description of the tenses.

Infinitive: This is the form you find in the dictionary. It will usually have 'att' attached to it. It is similar to adding 'to' to an English verb.
                  Example: to dance, to walk, to cook.

Present: This is what is happening now, or what happens on a regular basis.
                Example: I dance, I walk, I cook. I am cooking.. etc.

Past Imperfect: This is quite simply anything that has already happened. In English we add 'ed' to the end.
                            Example: I walked, I cooked, I danced.

Past Perfect: This is the same as Past Imperfect, except you use a helping verb, and the main (Swedish) verb takes the Supine form. We'll get to that.
                       Example: I have danced, I have walked, I have cooked.

These are the tenses I'll be covering to get you started. Future and passive tenses will come later. Check back in a day or so for the post covering Group 1 verbs.


Do you speak Swedish? Are you familiar with Swedish grammar? Let me know how I'm doing. Leave a comment below, or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com.

Reality TV in Sweden

I want to preface this post with a couple of points.

1. This is more of a cultural exploration. If you're not into that, come back for the next post in a few days. The next one should be about verbs.

2. No matter how far off track I seem to go, I will come back to something (probably) useful.


Now on to the good stuff.

I'm an American, (calm down, there's more) and as such, I like to brag. I think we all do, to some degree. We like to boast about the things we've accomplished. We got the first flight. We made it to the moon first, though, not the first to space. One thing we didn't do first, was reality tv. No, ladies and gentleman, we have the Dutch to thank for that. At least, that's what wikipedia says.

However, a year after the Dutch show Nummer 28 aired, Americans took the idea, and we made it our own. This has in no way improved any part of American culture.

I was 8 years old when I had my first encounter with reality tv. It was 1992, and I was watching MTV. You know, back when they played music videos. I was waiting for that song by Ugly Kid Joe that I liked, when instead I was treated to this. The Real World. I didn't know it then, but we would soon be treated to Road Rules, Joe Millionaire, The Bachelor, Survivor, and a whole bunch of stuff we got from the U.K.

My 8 year old brain couldn't comprehend it. Why would anyone want to watch complete strangers make fools of themselves on national tv? 22 years later, I still don't get it.

So jump ahead to a few years ago, to the first time I wanted to learn Swedish. I was working the night shift at a hotel, so there was plenty of down time to watch youtube, and I came across something that caught my interest right away. Sweden, it seemed, had its own reality show. It was like Survivor had gone to Sweden. And the kicker: The contestants were Americans.





Allt för Sverige takes a group of Americans with ties to Sweden, and makes them compete against each other for the chance to meet their long lost relatives. Of course, I watched all eight episodes, cheering for the guy from Kentucky the whole time. I like to think of it as local pride.

I finished the show with the feeling that I had caught some special glimpse into Swedish culture. And then, in true starter fashion, I started something else.

Jump ahead again, to just recently. I was searching youtube for more videos in Swedish, when I came across three more seasons of Allt för Sverige. I wasted no time in getting into season 2, but as I watched I noticed one strange thing. Everyone was crying. Everyone. For no real reason.

*Dramatization* The group is walking along when one person stops and points. "Look, a house. My morfar lived in a house." And everyone starts crying.

It took a little time to figure it out, but it came to me. The reason everyone was crying, was because they were all Americans. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Americans sit around crying all the time. But we've been doing this reality tv thing for over twenty years. Put us in front of a camera and we can make it dramatic, or at least pretty uncomfortable.

Again, it's not one of those things we want to brag about, but turn on any reality show and you'll see it. Our reality stars will break down in tears for any reason. Friendships (none of them real) are made and broken in the span of a single episode. And if you add alcohol, sex and fist fights will follow.

So I have to wonder, do the Swedes go nuts for this stuff like Americans do? Did the producers of the show know what they were in for when they chose Americans? Was it on purpose? By season two, they must have known. Did they intentionally pick people who were capable of crying any time the camera turned on?

I think the answer to some of these questions is 'yes'. I think it was on purpose, and I think they knew exactly what they were getting. Why? Because Norway did it first.

Of course, none of this will stop me from watching. I love this show. I love the footage of the Swedish country side. I love getting little bits of culture I was previously unaware of. I don't love the Americans, though. I can see them any time I turn on my tv.


Now here is your chance to chime in. Are you familiar with Allt för Sverige? Do you want to voice your opinion about it? Do you think I've got it completely wrong? Let me know in the comments, or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com.

Where I'm Going

Over the past few days, I've been trying to reacquaint myself with Swedish. To do that, I've been going over the Pimsleur course that I mentioned in the last post. Yes, even the creepy parts. Since this was the second time listening to it, I ignored the recommendation to do only one unit a day. With my rebellious attitude, I was able to breeze through the course in two days. Of course, it helped that I remembered more than I thought I would.

*A quick note: If you plan to take on the entire course at once, you'll need to take breaks. After a couple of hours, I lost my ability to actively listen. Whenever that happened, I would switch over to a Swedish news podcast, and listen passively. After a while, I was able to go back to the course.*

Like I've already mentioned, I don't like Pimsleur's listen and repeat style. There is nothing wrong with it. It's just not what works best for me. I have learned a lot from the Pimsleur course, however, and I feel like I understood some things better than the first time through. At this point, though, I'm only repeating specific phrases in specific situations. I have no idea why one verb ends in 'a' and later ends in 'ar'. I don't know how to convey any of my own thoughts in Swedish. Unless those thoughts have something to do with getting something to eat..... They usually do.

So this brings me to the first phase.


Learn some grammar.


I've chosen to start with verbs. The reason is simply personal preference. I like being able to say things are happening. You need verbs for that.
With verbs, of course, comes conjugation. I hate conjugating (especially if the rules aren't clearly defined), so all the more reason to figure it out and be done with it.

My plan of attack: I'm trying to keep my resources free if I can. Learning Swedish is not something I can sink a lot of money into. And shouldn't learning a language be free anyway?

With that being said, I'm starting on Wikipedia. Specifically, this page. I'll be reading through the section on verbs, probably a few times. Once I feel I've got a decent grasp on the subject, I'll try to put it into practice.

To do that, I'll be using this cool site. It's an interactive site to learn and practice over 600 Swedish verbs. I haven't tried it yet, but it looks promising.

*EDIT* There is a downloadable version to use offline, and a PDF file of grammar rules on the downloads page.

So that's my plan so far. In addition to keeping this blog updated with my progress, I'll also try to offer up explanations for any of the difficult parts I come across. That is, if I feel I understand it well enough.

So until next time.
Tack så mycket.
Dustin.

If you have any tips that I should know, feel free to leave a comment on this post, or email me at tillswedish[at]gmail[dot]com


Also. Here is this thing.