1000 Words

Learn Swedish – start with the 1000 most important words

Around 1000 words are enough to understand roughly 85% of everyday speech. That is exactly what 1000 Words focuses on: instead of endless grammar tables, you first learn the Swedish vocabulary you will actually meet in real life – nouns, verbs, adjectives and full sentences, each with translation, example sentence and native-speaker audio.

Learn the way that fits your day: as a video to read along, as an audiobook for your commute or for falling asleep, as an ebook, or with the built-in vocabulary trainer that shows you every word again at the scientifically optimal moment (spaced repetition). Everything is available on the website and in the free app for iOS and Android.

A taste: Swedish vocabulary with example sentences

EnglishSwedishExample sentence
the appleäppletI eat the apple.
Jag äter äpplet.
the bookbokenShe reads the book.
Hon läser boken.
the catkattenThe cat is sleeping.
Katten sover.
the doghundenThe dog is barking.
Hunden skäller.
the carbilenHe drives the car.
Han kör bilen.
the househusetWe live in a house.
Vi bor i ett hus.
the chairstolenShe sits on the chair.
Hon sitter på stolen.
the tablebordetPut the book on the table.
Lägg boken på bordet.
the windowfönstretOpen the window.
Öppna fönstret.
the doordörrenClose the door.
Stäng dörren.
the pencilblyertspennanI write with the pencil.
Jag skriver med blyertspennan.
the paperpappretThe paper is on the table.
Pappret ligger på bordet.
the schoolskolanThe school is big.
Skolan är stor.
the teacherlärarenThe teacher teaches math.
Läraren undervisar i matematik.
the studentstudentenThe student is studying.
Studenten studerar.
the boypojkenThe boy is playing.
Pojken leker.
the girlflickanThe girl is singing.
Flickan sjunger.
the adultden vuxnaThe adult is working.
Den vuxna arbetar.
the friendvännenMy friend is here.
Min vän är här.
the treeträdetThe tree is tall.
Trädet är högt.

The 100 most important Swedish words →

Essential Swedish verbs & adjectives

to acceptatt acceptera
to addatt lägga till
to agreeatt hålla med
to allowatt tillåta
to askatt fråga
to believeatt tro
to borrowatt låna
to breakatt ha sönder
to bringatt ta med
to buildatt bygga

Swedish sentences for beginners

I like applesJag gillar äpplen
She is my friendHon är min vän
It is a sunny dayDet är en solig dag
He runs fastHan springer snabbt
We are happyVi är glada
They play soccerDe spelar fotboll

How you learn Swedish with 1000 Words

🎬 Learning videos

Every word narrated and illustrated – read along and repeat.

🎧 Audiobooks

All vocabulary as audio – including a 3x repetition version, perfect for learning while you sleep.

📖 Ebooks & PDFs

All words and sentences to look up and read offline.

🧠 Vocabulary trainer

Spaced-repetition system like flashcards – reviews exactly when you need them.

✨ AI stories

Short stories built from the words you already know, with audio and tap-to-explain.

📴 Offline mode

Download Premium content and keep learning without internet.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need to understand Swedish?

With the 1000 most frequent words you understand about 85% of everyday spoken language. That is why 1000 Words focuses exactly on this core vocabulary – organized into nouns, verbs & adjectives and full sentences.

Does learning Swedish while sleeping really work?

Research shows the brain consolidates previously learned material during sleep. Our audiobooks with triple repetition are made for this: listen in the evening, relax, and anchor what you learned. Read more in our article on learning while you sleep.

Is 1000 Words free?

Yes, getting started is free: parts of the videos and audiobooks, the vocabulary trainer, the matching game and previews of all content. Premium unlocks everything – including downloads for offline mode.

Who is 1000 Words for?

For beginners and returners (level A1–B1) who want to build a usable Swedish vocabulary fast – without grammar overload, with native-speaker audio.

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