Swedish is closely related to Danish and Norwegian, although each has its unique characteristics and pronunciation.
Sweden’s most famous children’s book author, Astrid Lindgren, created Pippi Longstocking, whose adventurous tales have been translated into over 100 languages.
The Swedish alphabet consists of 29 letters, including three additional characters: Å, Ä, and Ö. Swedish has some unique sounds, such as the pronunciation of „j” as the English „y” and the softer „y” sound of „g” in certain words.
Swedish has its roots in Old Norse, the language of the Vikings, and still retains traces of its Viking origins in certain words and expressions.
Swedish is known for its compound words, where multiple words are combined to form a single term. For example, „lagom” combines „lag” (team) and „om” (around) to convey the meaning of moderation.
English speakers may find some familiar words in Swedish, as the two languages share many cognates with similar origins and meanings.
Swedes don’t have a specific word for „please.” Instead, they use words like „snälla” (kindly/please/be so kind) or „tack” (thank you/please).
