Present Tense Conjugation in Swedish

In Swedish, the present tense is used to talk about actions or situations that are happening right now or are generally true. To express the present tense, verbs undergo conjugation based on the subject. Let's get comfortable with the conjugation of common Swedish verbs in the present tense.

Regular Verbs

For regular verbs, conjugation in the present tense follows a predictable pattern. Here are the general rules for conjugating regular verbs in Swedish:

1. For infinitives ending in -a, remove the -a to get the stem of the verb.

   Example: svara (to answer) becomes svar- as the verb stem.

2. Combine the stem of the verb with the appropriate suffix based on the subject.

   Example: Adding suffix -ar for the subject 'he, she, it' would give us svarar (answers) from the verb svara.

Here is a conjugation table for the present tense of the Swedish verb svara (to answer):

          Pronoun    Conjugated Verb
          ---------------------------------
          jag        svarar (I answer)
          du         svarar (you answer/singular)
          han        svarar (he answers)
          hon        svarar (she answers)
          den        svarar (it answers)
          vi         svarar (we answer)
          ni         svarar (you answer/plural)
          de         svarar (they answer)

Irregular Verbs

Some Swedish verbs don't follow the regular pattern in the present tense. These verbs have specific conjugation forms that you need to memorize. While the list of irregular verbs is extensive, here are a few common examples:

1. göra (to do) conjugates as follows:

          Pronoun    Conjugated Verb
          ---------------------------------
          jag        gör (I do)
          du         gör (you do/singular)
          han        gör (he does)
          hon        gör (she does)
          den        gör (it does)
          vi         gör (we do)
          ni         gör (you do/plural)
          de         gör (they do)

1. vara (to be) conjugates as follows:

          Pronoun    Conjugated Verb
          ---------------------------------
          jag        är (I am)
          du         är (you are/singular)
          han        är (he is)
          hon        är (she is)
          den        är (it is)
          vi         är (we are)
          ni         är (you are/plural)
          de         är (they are)

Remember that irregular verbs have unique forms, so it's necessary to learn them individually.

Practice makes perfect!

To become comfortable with present tense conjugation in Swedish, the key is consistent practice. As you encounter new verbs, make an effort to conjugate them in the present tense for different subjects. Gradually, you'll build your conjugation skills and reinforce your understanding of Swedish grammar.

Lycka till! (Good luck!)