En dag i mataffären
Grocery shopping · a free Swedish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Ursäkta, var finns mjölken?
Excuse me, where is the milk?
Literal Excuse, where exists the-milk?
A polite opener for asking where something is located. 'Var finns' is the standard Swedish expression for asking about location, and the noun takes the definite form.
- 'Var finns?' = 'Where is/are?' — used for location questions
- 'mjölken' = milk with definite suffix '-en' (en-word)
Jag letar efter färska grönsaker.
I'm looking for fresh vegetables.
Literal I look-for after fresh vegetables.
'Letar efter' is a common phrasal verb meaning 'to look for' — useful any time you're searching for a product.
- 'letar efter' is a phrasal verb meaning 'to look for'
- 'färska' is the plural adjective form of 'färsk' (fresh)
Hur mycket kostar det här?
How much does this cost?
Literal How much costs it here?
The essential price-checking question. Swedish uses V2 word order, so 'kostar' comes right after the question phrase 'hur mycket'.
- V2 word order: verb 'kostar' follows 'hur mycket' immediately
- 'det här' = 'this' — informal demonstrative for pointing at a nearby item
Finns det något på rea den här veckan?
Is there anything on sale this week?
Literal Exists it something on sale the here week?
'Rea' (short for 'realisation') is the everyday Swedish word for a sale or discount. 'Finns det...?' is used to ask whether something exists.
- 'Finns det...?' = 'Is there...?' — existential question form
- 'rea' is a common informal shortening of 'realisation' meaning sale/discount
Kan du rekommendera en bra ost?
Can you recommend a good cheese?
Literal Can you recommend a good cheese?
A friendly way to ask staff for a personal recommendation. 'Kan du' + infinitive is a natural, polite request form.
- 'Kan du' + infinitive = 'Can you...?' — polite request
- 'en bra ost' — 'ost' is an en-word, taking indefinite article 'en'
Jag skulle vilja ha ett kilo äpplen, tack.
I would like a kilogram of apples, please.
Literal I would want to-have one kilo apples, thanks.
'Skulle vilja ha' is the polite conditional for 'would like to have' — the standard phrase for requesting a specific quantity of something.
- 'skulle vilja ha' = 'would like to have' — polite conditional request
- 'ett kilo' — 'kilo' is an ett-word; 'äpplen' is the plural of 'äpple'
Den här yoghurten är på extrapris.
This yogurt is on special offer.
Literal The here yogurt-the is on extra-price.
'Extrapris' literally means 'extra price' but refers to a promotional discount — you will see this term constantly on Swedish supermarket labels.
- 'Den här' = 'this' — used with en-words
- 'yoghurten' = definite form of 'yoghurt' (en-word, adds '-en')
Var kan jag hitta brödet?
Where can I find the bread?
Literal Where can I find bread-the?
A natural alternative to 'var finns?' when navigating a store. 'Var kan jag hitta?' adds the modal 'kan' for a slightly more conversational feel.
- 'Var kan jag hitta?' = 'Where can I find?' — question + modal verb structure
- 'brödet' = definite form of 'bröd' (ett-word, adds '-et')
Jag betalar med kort.
I'm paying by card.
Literal I pay with card.
A simple, practical statement for the checkout. Sweden is largely cashless, so this phrase comes up in almost every shopping trip.
- 'betalar' = present tense of 'betala' (to pay)
- 'med kort' = 'by/with card' — 'med' is the preposition meaning 'with'
Förlåt, är den här kön ledig?
Excuse me, is this checkout line free?
Literal Sorry, is the here queue-the free?
'Ledig' means 'free' or 'available' in the sense of unoccupied. A polite phrase when joining a queue or approaching a checkout lane.
- 'Förlåt' = 'Excuse me / Sorry' — softer and more apologetic than 'ursäkta'
- 'kön' = 'the queue'; 'ledig' = 'free/available' (unoccupied)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
mjölk
milk
Var finns mjölken?
Where is the milk?
Definite form: mjölken
grönsaker
vegetables
Jag letar efter färska grönsaker.
I'm looking for fresh vegetables.
Always used in plural; singular 'grönsak' is rarely used alone
kosta
to cost
Hur mycket kostar äpplena?
How much do the apples cost?
Present tense: kostar
rea
sale / discount
Den här osten är på rea.
This cheese is on sale.
Short for 'realisation'; very common in everyday speech and on store signs
ost
cheese
Kan du rekommendera en bra ost?
Can you recommend a good cheese?
Definite form: osten
extrapris
special offer price
Yoghurten är på extrapris.
The yogurt is on special offer.
Literally 'extra price'; ubiquitous on Swedish supermarket shelf labels
bröd
bread
Var kan jag hitta brödet?
Where can I find the bread?
Definite form: brödet
betala
to pay
Jag betalar med kort.
I'm paying by card.
Present tense: betalar
kö
queue / line
Är den här kön ledig?
Is this queue free?
Definite form: kön; used for any waiting line
ledig
free / available
Är kassan ledig?
Is the checkout free?
Means 'unoccupied/available'; also used for 'day off' as in 'ledig dag'
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Sara går in i mataffären och tar en korg. Hon letar efter färska tomater men hittar dem inte. Hon frågar en butiksanställd: 'Ursäkta, var finns tomaterna?' Butiksanställden ler och svarar: 'De finns längst bak, bredvid frukten.' Sara hittar tomaterna och lägger dem i korgen. Vid kassan ser hon att yoghurten är på extrapris och bestämmer sig för att köpa en burk. 'Jag betalar med kort', säger hon till kassörskan. 'Varsågod!' svarar kassörskan med ett leende.
Sentence by sentence
Sara går in i mataffären och tar en korg.
Sara walks into the grocery store and picks up a basket.
'går in i' = 'walks into'; 'mataffären' = definite form of 'mataffär' (grocery store); 'tar en korg' = 'picks up/takes a basket'
Hon letar efter färska tomater men hittar dem inte.
She is looking for fresh tomatoes but cannot find them.
'letar efter' = 'is looking for' (phrasal verb); 'hittar inte' = 'cannot find/does not find' — negation with 'inte' after the verb
Ursäkta, var finns tomaterna?
Excuse me, where are the tomatoes?
'Var finns?' = 'Where is/are?' — standard location question; 'tomaterna' = definite plural of 'tomat' (adding '-na' for en-words in definite plural)
De finns längst bak, bredvid frukten.
They are at the very back, next to the fruit.
'längst bak' = 'at the very back'; 'bredvid' = 'next to' — a key preposition of location for navigating any store
yoghurten är på extrapris
the yogurt is on special offer
'extrapris' is a standard Swedish retail term for a promotional price; 'är på extrapris' is the set phrase used on labels and in speech
Jag betalar med kort.
I'm paying by card.
'betalar med kort' = 'paying by card'; Sweden is highly cashless so this is one of the most practical phrases in the lesson
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Asking for locations with 'Var finns...?'
'Var finns...?' (Where is/are...?) is the standard Swedish construction for asking where something is located. The verb 'finns' (from 'finnas') expresses existence or presence in a place. The noun that follows normally takes the definite form since you are asking about a specific item.
Var finns + [definite noun]?
Var finns mjölken?
Where is the milk?
Var finns kassan?
Where is the checkout?
Var finns frysdisken?
Where is the frozen food section?
Var finns tomaterna?
Where are the tomatoes?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Swedish: 'Excuse me, where is the bread?'
Hint Use the pattern 'Var finns...?' and remember the definite form of bröd.
What does this mean in English? 'Den här yoghurten är på extrapris.'
Hint 'Extrapris' is a compound word — think extra + price.
Complete the sentence: '_____ _____ grönsakerna?' (How would you ask where the vegetables are located?)
Hint Use the location-asking pattern from the lesson, and remember: after 'Var finns', the noun takes the definite form.
You want to pay by card at the register. Which phrase do you use?
Rewrite this sentence to ask for one kilogram of oranges instead of apples: 'Jag skulle vilja ha ett kilo äpplen, tack.'
Hint The Swedish word for oranges is 'apelsiner'.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
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