Laga mat hemma — En enkel middag
Cooking at home · a free Swedish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Idag ska vi laga en enkel middag hemma.
Today we are going to cook a simple dinner at home.
Literal Today shall we cook a simple dinner home.
Uses 'ska' plus infinitive to express a future plan. 'Hemma' means 'at home' as a stationary state, not direction.
- 'ska' + infinitive expresses future intention or plan
- 'hemma' (at home, stationary) vs 'hem' (homeward, indicating movement)
Börja med att skala och hacka löken.
Start by peeling and chopping the onion.
Literal Begin with to peel and chop the-onion.
'Börja med att' plus infinitive means 'start by doing something'. 'Löken' is the onion with the definite suffix '-en'.
- 'börja med att' + infinitive = start by + gerund
- definite form of common nouns: lök → löken
Stek löken i lite smör på medelvärme.
Fry the onion in a little butter over medium heat.
Literal Fry the-onion in a-little butter on medium-heat.
'Stek' is the imperative of 'steka', formed by dropping the final '-a'. 'Medelvärme' is a Swedish compound noun: 'medel' (medium) plus 'värme' (heat).
- imperative formation: steka → stek (drop '-a')
- Swedish compound nouns merge freely: medel + värme = medelvärme
Tillsätt två matskedar tomatpuré och rör om.
Add two tablespoons of tomato paste and stir.
Literal Add two tablespoons tomato-puree and stir around.
'Tillsätt' is the imperative of 'tillsätta'. 'Rör om' is a separable phrasal verb meaning 'to stir' (literally 'stir around').
- phrasal verb: röra om → rör om in imperative
- 'matskedar' is the plural of 'matsked' (tablespoon)
Kan du hämta pastan från skafferiet?
Can you get the pasta from the pantry?
Literal Can you fetch the-pasta from the-pantry?
'Kan du' plus infinitive is a natural, polite way to ask someone to do something. 'Skafferiet' is 'the pantry' in definite neuter form.
- 'kan du' + infinitive = polite request in everyday speech
- neuter noun in definite form: skafferi → skafferiet
Vattnet ska koka innan du lägger i pastan.
The water must boil before you add the pasta.
Literal The-water shall boil before you lay in the-pasta.
'Vattnet' is 'the water' in neuter definite form. The phrasal verb 'lägga i' means 'to put into' a boiling pot.
- neuter noun in definite form: vatten → vattnet
- 'lägga i' as a cooking phrasal verb: to add something to a pot of boiling liquid
Smaka av och tillsätt salt om det behövs.
Taste it and add salt if needed.
Literal Taste off and add salt if it is-needed.
'Smaka av' means 'to taste and adjust seasoning'. 'Om det behövs' is a conditional clause meaning 'if it is needed'.
- 'smaka av' = to taste and season (separable phrasal verb)
- conditional clause: om + subject + verb (no inversion required)
Rätten är klar på ungefär tjugo minuter.
The dish is ready in about twenty minutes.
Literal The-dish is ready in approximately twenty minutes.
'Rätten' is 'the dish' in definite form. The preposition 'på' is used for time duration, equivalent to 'in' when counting down to completion.
- 'rätt' (dish/course) → 'rätten' in definite form
- 'på' + time expression = in (duration until done): 'på tjugo minuter' = in twenty minutes
Duka bordet medan såsen puttrar.
Set the table while the sauce simmers.
Literal Set the-table while the-sauce simmers.
'Duka bordet' is a fixed idiomatic phrase meaning 'to set the table'. 'Puttrar' is an informal, warm word for gentle simmering, the present tense of 'puttra'. 'Medan' introduces a simultaneous action.
- 'duka bordet' = set the table (fixed idiomatic phrase)
- 'medan' introduces a clause describing a simultaneous action
- 'puttrar' is the present tense of 'puttra' (to simmer gently), distinct from 'putta' (to push/nudge) whose present tense is 'puttar'
Det smakar alltid bättre när man lagar mat tillsammans.
It always tastes better when you cook together.
Literal It tastes always better when one cooks food together.
'Man' is the Swedish impersonal pronoun, like English 'one' or informal 'you', used for general truths. 'Bättre' is the comparative of 'bra' (good).
- impersonal pronoun 'man' = one/you in general statements
- comparative adjective: bra → bättre → bäst (good → better → best)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
laga (mat)
to cook
Vi lagar mat varje kväll.
We cook every evening.
'Laga' alone means 'to fix/repair'; always pair with 'mat' for cooking food
skala
to peel
Skala potatisen innan du kokar den.
Peel the potato before you boil it.
Imperative: skala (same form as infinitive)
steka
to fry / to sauté
Stek kycklingen i tio minuter.
Fry the chicken for ten minutes.
Imperative: stek (drop '-a')
matsked
tablespoon
Tillsätt en matsked olja.
Add one tablespoon of oil.
Plural: matskedar; compare 'tesked' = teaspoon
koka
to boil
Koka vattnet i fem minuter.
Boil the water for five minutes.
Also means 'to cook by boiling'; imperative: koka (same form)
smaka av
to taste and adjust seasoning
Smaka av såsen och tillsätt mer salt.
Taste the sauce and add more salt.
Separable verb; 'av' detaches in main clauses: 'smaka av' → 'smaka … av'
lök
onion
Hacka löken i små bitar.
Chop the onion into small pieces.
Definite: löken; plural: lökar
middag
dinner
Middagen är klar klockan sex.
Dinner is ready at six o'clock.
Literally 'midday' but commonly used for the main hot meal of the day
duka (bordet)
to set the table
Kan du duka bordet?
Can you set the table?
Almost always used with 'bordet' in everyday speech
tillsammans
together
Vi lagar alltid mat tillsammans.
We always cook together.
Typically placed at the end of a clause; adds a warm, collaborative tone
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
En kall fredagskväll bestämde Sara och Erik sig för att laga pasta hemma. Erik skalade löken medan Sara mätte upp ingredienserna på köksbordet. De stekte löken i smör och tillsatte tomatpuré, vitlök och lite chili. Medan såsen puttrade på spisen dukade de bordet och tände ett ljus. Det smakar alltid godare när man äter tillsammans.
Sentence by sentence
bestämde sig för att laga pasta hemma
decided to cook pasta at home
'Bestämma sig för att' is a reflexive construction meaning 'to decide to do something'. The reflexive pronoun 'sig' refers back to the subject Sara and Erik.
mätte upp ingredienserna
measured out the ingredients
'Mäta upp' is a phrasal verb meaning 'to measure out'. Past tense: mätte. 'Ingredienserna' is the definite plural: ingredienser + na.
stekte löken i smör
fried the onion in butter
Past tense of 'steka' is 'stekte'. The preposition 'i' is used for the cooking medium (in butter), not 'på'.
medan såsen puttrade på spisen
while the sauce simmered on the stove
'Medan' introduces a simultaneous background action. 'Puttra' (to simmer gently) is informal and homey. 'Spisen' = the stove in definite form.
det smakar alltid godare när man äter tillsammans
it always tastes better when you eat together
The impersonal 'man' stands in for 'vi/du' to express a general truth. 'Godare' is the comparative of 'god' (tasty), used here as a warm, idiomatic close.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Imperative Verbs for Cooking Instructions
Swedish imperatives take one of two forms depending on the verb group. Group 2 verbs, whose present tense ends in -er (steka → steker), form the imperative by dropping the infinitive ending -a, leaving the bare stem: stek. Group 1 verbs, whose present tense ends in -ar (koka → kokar), keep the -a ending, so the imperative is identical to the infinitive: koka. No subject pronoun is used. Both forms are natural for recipes, step-by-step instructions, and friendly kitchen guidance.
Group 2 (-er verbs): infinitive -a → drop -a → bare stem imperative (steka → stek); Group 1 (-ar verbs): infinitive -a → keep -a → imperative = infinitive (koka → koka)
Steka → Stek löken i smör.
Fry the onion in butter.
Skala → Skala potatisen.
Peel the potato.
Koka → Koka vattnet först.
Boil the water first.
Blanda → Blanda alla ingredienser.
Mix all the ingredients.
Tillsätta → Tillsätt salt efter smak.
Add salt to taste.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Swedish: 'Set the table while the sauce simmers.'
Hint Use the imperative form of 'duka' — it's one of the key vocab words!
What does this sentence mean in English? 'Smaka av och tillsätt salt om det behövs.'
Hint 'Smaka av' is a two-part phrase meaning to taste for seasoning.
Complete the cooking instruction: 'Vattnet ska ___ innan du lägger i pastan.'
Hint The water needs to reach 100°C first!
Which sentence correctly gives a cooking instruction in the imperative?
Rewrite as a direct cooking instruction (imperative): 'Du ska tillsätta två matskedar tomatpuré och röra om.'
Hint Drop 'Du ska' and use the bare verb stems.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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