Learn Swedish from English at PBC Languages
Free Swedish practice with natives at PBC Languages: small group classes plus 1-to-1 exchanges, half in Swedish, half in English.
Create your free accountNo card needed. Exchanges between members are always free.
If you speak English, the first wall you hit in Swedish is sound, not grammar. The sj-sound in words like "sju" (seven), "sjuk" (sick) or "stjärna" (star) doesn't exist in English at all, and the tj-sound in "tjej" (girl) or "kött" (meat) gets flattened into a "ch" by almost every beginner. On top of that, Swedish has pitch accent: "anden" said one way means "the duck," said another way means "the spirit." Vowel length matters too — "man" and "mån" are different words because of how long you hold the vowel, something English speakers rarely pay attention to.
Then come the false friends. "Fart" means speed (you'll see "fartkontroll" on Swedish roads), "gift" means married or poison, never a present, "glass" is ice cream, "barn" is a child, "chef" is your boss, not a cook, and "bra" simply means good — none of it is what your English brain expects. On the calquing side, Swedish forces the verb into second position no matter what comes first ("Igår gick jag hem," not "Igår jag gick hem"), and the definite article gets glued onto the end of the noun instead of standing alone: "en bok" becomes "boken."
What moves fast: vocabulary. English and Swedish share a Germanic backbone, so "hus," "bok," "mus" and "vatten" are recognizable from day one, and the FSI ranks Swedish among the easier languages for English speakers to pick up. Verb conjugation doesn't change with person (jag är, du är, han är — same verb), and there's no case system to memorize beyond a genitive -s. Once the ear adjusts to the sj- and tj- sounds, most learners feel the grammar catching up quickly.
Words you will actually hear
| Here | Elsewhere | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| fart | fart | In Swedish it means speed — you'll see "fartkontroll" (speed check) on road signs. Nothing to do with the English word. |
| gift | gift | Means married or poison in Swedish, never a present. Context saves you: "Hon är gift" is about marriage, not flatulence or generosity. |
| barn | barn | A Swedish "barn" is a child, not a farm building. One of the first false friends every English speaker trips on. |
| glass | glass | Means ice cream in Swedish. Ordering "glass" at a café gets you dessert, not a drinking cup. |
| chef | chef | A Swedish "chef" is your boss or manager, not the person cooking. The cook is a "kock." |
| sopor | soap | Sounds close to "soap" but means garbage or trash. "Kasta soporna" is take out the rubbish, not do laundry. |
| bra | bra | Just means good in Swedish. "Det var bra" is a compliment, no undergarment involved. |
| hund | hound | Same Germanic root as "hound," and it just means dog. An easy word to lock in early. |
| bok | book | Close enough in sound and spelling that it sticks on the first try — same meaning, same origin. |
| vatten | water | Shared root with English "water." One of the cognates that makes basic vocabulary faster to pick up. |
How it works here
-
Sign up and say your level
Two minutes. If you do not know your level, we place you in the first class.
-
Pick a class or an exchange
Classes are led by a native teacher. An exchange is with another member: half the time in their language, half in yours.
-
Join by video, nothing to install
From your phone or your computer. If you cannot make it, cancel and get your place back.
Questions about this
How long does it take an English speaker to get comfortable in Swedish?
Swedish is classified by the FSI as one of the easier languages for English speakers, roughly 600 to 750 hours of study to reach working fluency. That's a general benchmark, not a promise — it depends on how often you show up to classes and exchanges. Regular practice with native teachers and 1-to-1 partners is what actually moves the needle, not the number on paper.
Is the 1-to-1 exchange actually free?
Yes. No money changes hands between members: you give half an hour of your English and get half an hour of someone's Swedish in return. It's a trade of time, not a paid service, which is different from the small group classes with native teachers.
What level do I need before starting an exchange?
Enough Swedish to introduce yourself and ask basic questions is plenty to start. You'll always have your comfortable half hour in English, and most Swedish partners are used to working with beginners since they were in the same position learning English.
How exactly is the time split during an exchange?
Thirty minutes in Swedish, thirty minutes in English, back to back in the same session. Both people practice speaking, not just listening, which is the part that classes alone don't cover.
Keep looking around
Start this week
A free account, a free first group class, and exchanges that never cost anything.
