I spelbutiken – Att köpa ett nytt spel
Buying a new game · a free Swedish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Ursäkta, kan du hjälpa mig? Jag letar efter ett nytt spel.
Excuse me, can you help me? I'm looking for a new game.
Literal Excuse me, can you help me? I look for a new game.
A natural opener with a store clerk. 'Ursäkta' politely signals you need attention, and 'letar efter' is the standard Swedish phrasal verb for 'looking for'.
- 'kan du' = 'can you' — modal verb followed by pronoun in question order
- 'letar efter' = 'looking for' — phrasal verb; the two parts always stay together
Vad för typ av spel brukar du spela?
What type of game do you usually play?
Literal What for type of game usually do you play?
'Vad för typ av' is a common Swedish phrase for 'what type/kind of'. 'Brukar' expresses a habitual or regular action, similar to 'usually' in English.
- 'vad för typ av' = 'what type of' — fixed question phrase
- 'brukar + infinitive' = habitual present; no separate word for 'usually' is needed
Jag tycker om äventyrsspel, men det här ser också spännande ut.
I like adventure games, but this one looks exciting too.
Literal I like adventure-games, but this here looks also exciting out.
'Tycker om' means 'to like' (for things/activities). 'Ser ut' is a separable verb meaning 'looks/appears'; the particle 'ut' moves to the end.
- 'tycker om' = 'to like' — phrasal verb for preferences
- 'ser … ut' = 'looks/appears' — separable verb; complement sits between the two parts
Hur mycket kostar det här spelet?
How much does this game cost?
Literal How much costs this here game?
The essential price question in any Swedish shop. Note the verb-first order after the question phrase 'hur mycket'.
- 'hur mycket' = 'how much' — quantity question phrase
- 'kostar' = present tense of 'kosta'; no auxiliary needed in Swedish
Det kostar trehundra kronor, men vi har rea på det den här veckan.
It costs three hundred kronor, but we have a sale on it this week.
Literal It costs three-hundred kronor, but we have sale on it this here week.
'Rea' (short for 'realisering') is the everyday word for a sale or discount. 'Den här veckan' attaches the demonstrative directly before the noun.
- 'trehundra kronor' — prices use no article in Swedish
- 'den här veckan' = 'this week' — demonstrative + common-gender noun
Är det här spelet bättre än det andra?
Is this game better than the other one?
Literal Is this here game better than the other?
'Bättre' is the irregular comparative of 'bra' (good). 'Än' introduces the comparison, equivalent to English 'than'.
- 'bättre än' = 'better than' — irregular comparative + comparison marker
- 'det andra' = 'the other one' — neuter demonstrative used as a pronoun
Det här spelet har mycket bättre grafik och roligare spelmekanik.
This game has much better graphics and more fun gameplay mechanics.
Literal This here game has much better graphics and more-fun game-mechanic.
'Roligare' is the comparative of 'rolig' (fun), formed with the regular -are suffix. 'Mycket' intensifies the comparative, like 'much' in English.
- 'roligare' = 'more fun' — regular comparative: stem + -are
- 'mycket bättre' = 'much better' — adverb intensifying a comparative
Skulle du vilja prova det i butiken innan du bestämmer dig?
Would you like to try it in the store before you decide?
Literal Would you want try it in the store before you decide yourself?
'Skulle vilja' is the polite conditional for 'would like to'. 'Bestämmer dig' is reflexive — the 'dig' (yourself) signals the action is self-directed.
- 'skulle vilja' = 'would like to' — conditional modal construction
- 'bestämmer dig' = 'decide' — reflexive verb; 'dig' is the reflexive pronoun for 'du'
Ja, tack! Det verkar vara precis vad jag letar efter.
Yes, please! It seems to be exactly what I'm looking for.
Literal Yes, thanks! It seems be exactly what I look for.
'Verkar vara' means 'seems to be' — a useful phrase to express tentative assessment. 'Precis vad' = 'exactly what', reinforcing the match.
- 'verkar vara' = 'seems to be' — perception verb + bare infinitive
- 'precis vad' = 'exactly what' — emphatic relative clause opener
Jag tar det! Kan jag betala med kort?
I'll take it! Can I pay by card?
Literal I take it! Can I pay with card?
In Swedish, present tense is used for an immediate decision ('jag tar det'). 'Betala med kort' is the standard phrase for paying by card.
- 'jag tar det' = 'I'll take it' — present tense expressing a near-future purchase decision
- 'betala med kort' = 'pay by card' — fixed shopping phrase; no article before 'kort'
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
spel
game
Jag letar efter ett spel.
I'm looking for a game.
Plural form is also 'spel' — unchanged
kostar
costs
Hur mycket kostar det här?
How much does this cost?
Infinitive: kosta; used directly in questions without an auxiliary
rea
sale / discount
Vi har rea på spel den här veckan.
We have a sale on games this week.
Short for 'realisering'; very common in everyday spoken Swedish
spännande
exciting
Det här spelet ser spännande ut.
This game looks exciting.
Indeclinable — same form for all genders and plural
grafik
graphics
Spelet har fantastisk grafik.
The game has fantastic graphics.
Used in the singular in Swedish even when referring to overall visual quality
butiken
the store / the shop
Du kan prova spelet i butiken.
You can try the game in the store.
Definite form of 'butik'; the -en suffix marks definiteness for common-gender nouns
tycker
like / think (opinion)
Jag tycker om äventyrsspel.
I like adventure games.
'tycker om' = to like (things/activities); 'tycker att' = to think that (opinions)
bättre
better
Det här spelet är bättre än det andra.
This game is better than the other one.
Irregular comparative of 'bra' (good)
bestämmer
decides / decide
Bestämmer du dig snart?
Are you deciding soon?
'bestämmer sig' = to decide (reflexive); infinitive: bestämma
roligare
more fun
Det här spelet är roligare än det där.
This game is more fun than that one.
Comparative of 'rolig' (fun); regular -are suffix
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Erik går in i spelbutiken på lördagen. Han frågar expediten om ett äventyrsspel och får veta att det finns ett nytt spel på rea. Det kostar bara tvåhundra kronor istället för trehundra. Erik tycker att spelet ser spännande ut och bestämmer sig för att köpa det.
Sentence by sentence
Erik går in i spelbutiken på lördagen.
Erik walks into the game store on Saturday.
'Går in i' = 'walks into' — directional movement phrase. 'På lördagen' = 'on Saturday' — time expressions for days use 'på' in Swedish.
Han frågar expediten om ett äventyrsspel
He asks the store clerk about an adventure game
'Frågar om' = 'asks about'. 'Expediten' is the definite form of 'expedit' (store assistant); the -en ending marks the definite.
och får veta att det finns ett nytt spel på rea.
and learns that there is a new game on sale.
'Får veta' = 'learns / finds out' — a very common idiomatic expression. 'Det finns' = 'there is/are' — Swedish existential construction.
Det kostar bara tvåhundra kronor istället för trehundra.
It costs only two hundred kronor instead of three hundred.
'Bara' = 'only/just'. 'Istället för' = 'instead of' — a handy phrase when comparing prices or alternatives.
Erik tycker att spelet ser spännande ut och bestämmer sig för att köpa det.
Erik thinks the game looks exciting and decides to buy it.
'Tycker att' = 'thinks that' (expressing opinion). 'Bestämmer sig för att' = 'decides to' — reflexive verb followed by 'för att' + infinitive.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Comparative Adjectives: -are Suffix and Irregular Forms
Most Swedish adjectives form their comparative by adding -are to the base form. A handful of very common adjectives are irregular (bra → bättre, dålig → sämre). When comparing two things, use 'än' (than) after the comparative form.
[adjective stem] + -are (+ än + [comparison]) | OR | [irregular comparative] (+ än + [comparison])
Det här spelet är roligare än det andra.
This game is more fun than the other one.
Den nya versionen har mycket bättre grafik.
The new version has much better graphics.
Det är billigare att köpa online.
It is cheaper to buy online.
Äventyrsspel är spännande, men pusselspel är svårare.
Adventure games are exciting, but puzzle games are harder.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Swedish: "Excuse me, can you help me? I'm looking for a new game."
Hint Use 'letar efter' for 'looking for'.
Translate to English: "Det kostar trehundra kronor, men vi har rea på det den här veckan."
Hint 'Rea' is a very common Swedish word for a discount or sale.
Complete the sentence: "Det här spelet har mycket bättre grafik och ___ spelmekanik."
Hint The missing word is the comparative form of 'rolig' (fun), using the -are suffix.
Which sentence correctly uses a comparative adjective?
Rewrite using a comparative: "Det gamla spelet är bra, men det nya spelet är också bra." (Hint: imply the new one is better.)
Hint 'Bra' has an irregular comparative — it doesn't follow the -are rule.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
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