Wikijunior:Languages/Swedish
What writing system(s) does this language use?
The Swedish alphabet is a 29 letter alphabet, the standard Latin alphabet with the letter å, ä, and ö. These letters come after z. This is the alphabet, then: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Å Ä Ö
How many people speak this language?
Swedish is spoken by about 9 million people.
Where is this language spoken?
Swedish is spoken primarily in Sweden, where it is the native language. However, it is a minority language in Finland because Finland was once part of Sweden.
What is the history of this language?
Around the 9th century, Old Norse began to split into Old West Norse (which was spoken in Norway and Iceland) and Old East Norse (spoken in Sweden and Denmark). In the 12th century, the dialects spoken in Denmark and Sweden began to diverge even more, becoming Old Danish and Old Swedish in the 13th century: Old Swedish developed into the Swedish spoken today.
Probably the best known Swedish children's book is Pippi Longstocking (Pippi Långstrump in Swedish) by Astrid Lindgren. This book has been translated into 70 languages! Astrid Lindgren also wrote Karlsson-on-the-Roof, Mio, my Mio, and many other stories for children.
Tove Jansson was from Finland, but she wrote books in Swedish. She created a series of children's books about Moomins, funny creatures that look a bit like hippos. The family of Moomins live in their house in Moominvalley, though in the past their residences have included a lighthouse and a theatre.
Some authors writing for an adult audience are:
- Hjalmar Bergman
- Karin Boye
- Selma Lagerlöf
- Vilhelm Moberg
- August Strindberg
What are some basic words and phrases in this language that I can learn?
| Hälsningar | Greetings |
|---|---|
| Hej | Hi |
| God natt | Good night |
| God morgon | Good morning |
| Hur mår du? | How are You? |
| Hej då | Good-bye |
| Vi ses imorgon | See you tomorrow |
| Ha det bra | Take care |
| Basfraser | Basic phrases |
| Tack | Thankyou (sometimes also used as "please") |
| Varsågod | You are welcome |
| Förlåt | Sorry |
| Ursäkta mig | Excuse me |
| Pratar du engelska/svenska? | Do you speak English/Swedish? |
| Var finns toaletten? | Where is the bathroom? |
| (Tala) långsammare | (Speak) slower please. |
| Jag gillar . . . | I like . . . |
| Jag gillar inte . . . | I don't like . . . |
| Skulle jag kunna få ...? | May I have ...? |
| Jag heter . . . | My name is. . . |
What is a simple song/poem/story that I can learn in this language?
The national anthem of Sweden
In Swedish:
Du gamla, Du fria, Du fjällhöga nord
Du tysta, Du glädjerika sköna!
Jag hälsar Dig, vänaste land uppå jord,
Din sol, Din himmel, Dina ängder gröna.
Du tronar på minnen från fornstora dar,
då ärat Ditt namn flög över jorden.
Jag vet att Du är och förblir vad du var.
Ja, jag vill leva jag vill dö i Norden.
In English:
Thou ancient, thou free, thou mountainous North.
In beauty and peace our hearts beguiling.
I greet thee, thou loveliest land on the earth.
Thy sun, thy skies, thy meadows green.
Thy rest on the memories of the great days of yore.
When all round the world thine name honoured was.
I know that you are and you will be as you were.
Oh, I would live and I would die in the North.
A poem from from 1933 by Nils Ferlin.
| Original | Translation |
|---|---|
| Du har tappat ditt ord och din papperslapp, | You've lost your word and your written note, |
| du barfotabarn i livet. | you barefooted child of life. |
| Så sitter du åter på handlar'ns trapp | Now you're sitting again on the grocer's porch |
| och gråter så övergivet. | and crying, abandoned. |
| Vad var det för ord – var det långt eller kort, | What was it, your word – was it long, was it short, |
| var det väl eller illa skrivet? | was it well or poorly written? |
| Tänk efter nu – förr'n vi föser dig bort, | Think twice now – lest we send you away, |
| du barfotabarn i livet. | you barefooted child of life. |
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