B1 Swedish GrammarAdverbs & Adverb Position
Master Swedish adverbs and their placement in sentences. Learn how to form adverbs from adjectives, understand the critical difference between main clause and subordinate clause word order, and use common adverbs naturally.
1Forming Adverbs from Adjectives
Many Swedish adverbs are formed by adding -t to the adjective (the same as the neuter form). Some adverbs are identical to the adjective, and some common adverbs have unique forms. Unlike English -ly, Swedish uses the simple -t ending.
Adjective to Adverb
| Adjective | Adverb | English |
|---|---|---|
| snabb | snabbt | quickly |
| lÄngsam | lÄngsamt | slowly |
| tyst | tyst | quietly |
| dÄlig | dÄligt | badly |
| vacker | vackert | beautifully |
Examples
Hon springer snabbt.
She runs quickly.
snabb â snabbt
Han talar lÄngsamt.
He speaks slowly.
lĂ„ngsam â lĂ„ngsamt
De arbetar hÄrt.
They work hard.
hĂ„rd â hĂ„rt
Barnet sjöng vackert.
The child sang beautifully.
vacker â vackert
2Common Adverbs
Swedish has many essential adverbs that don't derive from adjectives. These include time adverbs (nu, idag, igÄr, imorgon), frequency adverbs (alltid, ofta, ibland, aldrig), and sentence adverbs (inte, kanske, nog, ju). These are among the most frequently used words.
Essential Swedish Adverbs
| Category | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Time | nu, dÄ, sedan, snart | now, then, since, soon |
| Frequency | alltid, ofta, ibland, aldrig | always, often, sometimes, never |
| Degree | mycket, lite, ganska, för | very, a little, quite, too |
| Sentence | inte, kanske, nog, ju | not, maybe, probably, you know |
Examples
Jag trÀnar ofta pÄ gymmet.
I often work out at the gym.
frequency adverb 'ofta'
Vi ska snart Ă„ka hem.
We will soon go home.
time adverb 'snart'
Det Àr ganska kallt idag.
It's quite cold today.
degree adverb 'ganska'
Han kommer nog imorgon.
He will probably come tomorrow.
sentence adverb 'nog' = probably
3Adverb Position in Main Clauses
In Swedish main clauses, adverbs (especially 'inte', 'alltid', 'aldrig', 'ofta') come AFTER the finite verb. This is different from English where 'not' comes before the main verb. Remember the V2 rule: the verb is always in second position, and adverbs follow it.
Main Clause Word Order
| Position | 1 | 2 (Verb) | 3 (Adverb) | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Jag | Àter | inte | kött |
| Standard | Hon | kommer | alltid | i tid |
| Question | -- | Ăter | du inte | kött? |
| Inverted | Idag | kan | jag inte | komma |
Examples
Jag förstÄr inte svenska.
I don't understand Swedish.
'inte' after verb in main clause
Hon dricker aldrig kaffe.
She never drinks coffee.
'aldrig' after verb
Vi har redan Àtit.
We have already eaten.
'redan' between auxiliary and main verb
Imorgon kan jag inte komma.
Tomorrow I cannot come.
inverted order: 'inte' after subject
4Adverb Position in Subordinate Clauses
In subordinate clauses (after att, om, nÀr, eftersom, etc.), adverbs come BEFORE the finite verb. This is the opposite of main clauses and is a critical rule in Swedish. The pattern is: conjunction + subject + adverb + verb.
Subordinate Clause Word Order
| Conjunction | Subject | Adverb | Verb | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| att | jag | inte | förstÄr | svenska |
| om | du | aldrig | har | tid |
| nÀr | hon | alltid | kommer | hem |
| eftersom | vi | inte | kan | simma |
Examples
Jag vet att han inte kommer.
I know that he is not coming.
'inte' before verb in subordinate clause
Om du aldrig trÀnar, blir du inte stark.
If you never exercise, you won't get strong.
'aldrig' before verb after 'om'
Hon sa att hon redan hade Àtit.
She said that she had already eaten.
'redan' before 'hade' in att-clause
Eftersom jag inte kan köra, tar jag bussen.
Since I can't drive, I take the bus.
'inte' before 'kan' in eftersom-clause
Practice
Get 4 of 5 right to learn this lesson
'She runs quickly': Hon springer ___.
'I don't understand' (main clause): Jag förstÄr ___ svenska.
'...that I don't understand' (subordinate): ...att jag ___ förstÄr svenska.
'She never drinks coffee': Hon dricker ___ kaffe.
'True friends are always there': Sanna vÀnner ___ alltid dÀr.
See Real Examples in Stories
Now that you've practiced, see this grammar in context
