Learn Swedish Numbers: Complete Guide from 1 to Billions
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Practice Swedish Numbers Vocabulary with Erik
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Essential Numbers Vocabulary
When you learn Swedish numbers, you'll discover a logical system that shares roots with English and other Germanic languages. Here are the core numbers every learner needs to know:
| Word & Pronunciation | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nollnol | zero | Temperaturen är noll grader. (The temperature is zero degrees.) |
| ett / enet / en | one | Jag har ett äpple. (I have one apple.) |
| tvåtvoh | two | Vi har två katter. (We have two cats.) |
| tretreh | three | Det finns tre böcker på bordet. (There are three books on the table.) |
| fyraFEW-ra | four | Hon har fyra barn. (She has four children.) |
| femfem | five | Klockan är fem. (It's five o'clock.) |
| sexseks | six | Jag arbetar sex dagar i veckan. (I work six days a week.) |
| sjuhwoo | seven | Det är sju kilometer härifrån. (It's seven kilometers from here.) |
| åttaO-ta | eight | Mötet börjar klockan åtta. (The meeting starts at eight.) |
| nioNEE-o | nine | Nio av tio rekommenderar det. (Nine out of ten recommend it.) |
| tioTEE-o | ten | Jag köpte tio ägg. (I bought ten eggs.) |
| elvaEL-va | eleven | Hon fyller elva år. (She's turning eleven.) |
| tolvtolv | twelve | Det finns tolv månader. (There are twelve months.) |
| trettonTRET-on | thirteen | Fredag den trettonde. (Friday the thirteenth.) |
| tjugoKHOO-go | twenty | Jag är tjugo år gammal. (I am twenty years old.) |
| hundraHUN-dra | hundred | Det kostar hundra kronor. (It costs one hundred kronor.) |
| tusenTOO-sen | thousand | Stockholm har en miljon tusen invånare. (Stockholm has over a million inhabitants.) |
Common Phrases
These everyday expressions will help you use Swedish numbers naturally in conversation:
- Hur mycket kostar det? (hoor MEW-ket KOS-tar deh) — How much does it cost?
- Det blir femtio kronor. (deh bleer FEM-tee KROO-nor) — That will be fifty kronor.
- Jag tar nummer tre. (yahg tahr NUM-mer treh) — I'll take number three.
- Vad är ditt telefonnummer? (vahd air dit teh-leh-FOHN-num-mer) — What is your phone number?
- Första, andra, tredje (FUSH-ta, AN-dra, TRED-ye) — First, second, third (ordinal numbers)
- Hälften av (HELF-ten ahv) — Half of
- En kvart (en kvart) — A quarter
- Dubbelt så mycket (DUB-belt soh MEW-ket) — Twice as much
Usage Notes
Understanding these cultural and grammatical points will help you learn Swedish numbers more effectively:
- Ett vs. En: The number "one" has two forms in Swedish. Use ett with ett-words (neuter nouns) like ett hus (one house) and en with en-words (common gender) like en bil (one car).
- Phone Numbers: Swedes typically read phone numbers in pairs: 08-12-34-56 is read as "noll åtta, tolv, trettiofyra, femtiosex."
- Decimal Comma: Sweden uses a comma instead of a period for decimals. So 3.5 is written as 3,5 and pronounced tre komma fem.
- Large Numbers: A billion in Swedish (en miljard) equals 1,000,000,000, same as in American English. A biljon is a trillion (1,000,000,000,000).
- Time Expressions: When telling time, Swedes often use the 24-hour clock in formal contexts. "15:30" is femton trettio.
- Ordinal Numbers: Most ordinals add -te or -de to the cardinal number, but the first three are irregular: första, andra, tredje.
Practice Sentences
Use these example sentences to practice your Swedish numbers in context:
- Jag har bott här i femton år. — I have lived here for fifteen years.
- Bussen kommer om tjugofem minuter. — The bus comes in twenty-five minutes.
- Det finns trettioen dagar i januari. — There are thirty-one days in January.
- Min farfar är åttiofyra år gammal. — My grandfather is eighty-four years old.
- Kan jag få fyra koppar kaffe, tack? — Can I have four cups of coffee, please?
- Vi bor på femte våningen. — We live on the fifth floor.
- Klockan är halv tre. — It's half past two. (Literally: "half three" in Swedish)
- Tåget avgår klockan sexton fyrtiofem. — The train departs at 16:45.
- Jag behöver köpa ett dussin ägg. — I need to buy a dozen eggs.
- Det är minus femton grader ute. — It's minus fifteen degrees outside.