Can you explain? Questions about words and language
Check meanings, spelling, pronunciation and register: the questions that turn not understanding into learning.
Once you can ask about words, every conversation becomes a lesson. Most Swedes enjoy explaining their language, and these questions show you're serious about it.
- 1
Hänger du med?
Are you following?
Tip: lit. 'Are you hanging along?' — you'll hear this from teachers and colleagues.
- 2
Förstår du vad jag menar?
Do you know what I mean?
Tip: Often just a filler, like 'you know?'.
- 3
Kan du prata lite högre?
Could you speak a little louder?
Tip: Comparative of the word for high and loud.
- 4
Kan du upprepa det sista?
Can you repeat the last part?
Tip: lit. 'repeat the last'.
- 5
Sa du femton eller femtio?
Did you say fifteen or fifty?
Tip: These two sound alike — always worth checking.
- 6
Menar du idag eller imorgon?
Do you mean today or tomorrow?
Tip: Offer two options to make it easy to answer.
- 7
Vad sa han?
What did he say?
Tip: Ask a friend after an announcement or a fast talker.
- 8
Kan du säga det på ett annat sätt?
Can you say it another way?
Tip: lit. 'in another way'.
- 9
Kan du förklara det ordet?
Could you explain that word?
Tip: No 'the' word in front, but the noun gets its ending: 'that word'.
- 10
Kan du ge ett exempel?
Can you give me an example?
Tip: The best way to understand a new word.
- 11
Finns det ett annat ord för det?
Is there another word for it?
Tip: lit. 'Is there another word for it?'
- 12
Vad är skillnaden?
What's the difference?
Tip: Great for near-synonyms.
- 13
Vad är motsatsen?
What's the opposite?
Tip: lit. 'the against-set'.
- 14
Är det ett vanligt ord?
Is it a common word?
Tip: Worth knowing before you use it.
- 15
Är det formellt eller vardagligt?
Is it formal or everyday?
Tip: Both adjectives take -t after det.
- 16
Är det slang?
Is that slang?
Tip: Same word in English.
- 17
Är det dialekt?
Is that dialect?
Tip: Some words only exist in one region.
- 18
Kan man säga så?
Can you say that?
Tip: lit. 'Can one say so?' — checking if a phrase is natural.
- 19
Hur skulle du säga det?
How would you say it?
Tip: Ask for the natural version.
- 20
Heter det en eller ett?
Is it 'en' or 'ett'?
Tip: lit. 'Is it called…?' — the learner's eternal question.
- 21
Hur blir det i plural?
What's the plural?
Tip: lit. 'How does it become in…?' — asking for the form for more than one.
- 22
Hur uttalar man det här ordet?
How do you pronounce this word?
Tip: The generic 'one' again.
- 23
Hur stavas det?
How is it spelled?
Tip: Passive with -s.
- 24
Skrivs det så?
Is that how you write it?
Tip: Passive with -s again.
- 25
Är det med ett eller två t?
Is it with one t or two?
Tip: Double consonants change the vowel before them.
- 26
Gör jag mycket fel?
Do I make a lot of mistakes?
Tip: lit. 'Do I make much wrong?'
- 27
Pratar du engelska?
Do you speak English?
Tip: Most Swedes do, so use it as a last resort.
- 28
Kan du säga det på engelska?
Could you say it in English?
Tip: The emergency exit.
- 29
Kan vi prata svenska?
Can we speak Swedish?
Tip: Say it when people switch to English for you.
- 30
Hur länge har du pluggat svenska?
How long have you been studying Swedish?
Tip: Perfect tense for something still going on.
- 31
Var har du lärt dig svenska?
Where did you learn Swedish?
Tip: Perfect tense, reflexive verb.
- 32
Är svenska svårt att lära sig?
Is Swedish hard to learn?
Tip: Note the -t: the language is treated as a whole idea here.