smaka means "to taste" — both the active sense (you taste the soup to check it) and the descriptive sense (the soup tastes good). It is a regular Group 1 verb: smaka – smakar – smakade – smakat. The single most important thing for English speakers is the adjective that goes with it: a thing tastes gott, never bra. gott is the dedicated Swedish word for good flavour.
Principal parts
| Infinitive | Present | Preteritum (past) | Supine | Imperative | Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| smaka | smakar | smakade | smakat | smaka | Group 1 |
All forms are regular. Present is the infinitive plus -r (smakar). Past adds -de (smakade). The supine after har ends in -at (smakat). The imperative is the bare stem: Smaka! ("Taste it!").
Use 1: Det smakar gott — describing flavour
When you say something tastes good, Swedish uses gott, the neuter form of the flavour-and-pleasure adjective god. Using bra here is the classic English-speaker error — bra means "good" in the sense of quality or ability, not flavour.
Den här soppan smakar jättegott!
This soup tastes really good! smakar gott — gott is the word for flavour, not bra.
Maten smakade fantastiskt på den nya restaurangen.
The food tasted fantastic at the new restaurant. smakade — regular Group 1 past.
Kaffet smakar bränt.
The coffee tastes burnt. smaka + adjective describing the flavour.
You can also say something tastes bad with illa or describe it with smaka som ("taste like").
Medicinen smakar illa, men den hjälper.
The medicine tastes bad, but it helps. smaka illa = taste bad.
Det här smakar som lakrits.
This tastes like liquorice. smaka som + a comparison.
Use 2: smaka på — have a taste of
To actively try the flavour of something, Swedish uses smaka på ("taste on"). The på is what marks the act of sampling — putting a bit on your tongue to check.
Smaka på soppan och säg om den behöver salt.
Taste the soup and say if it needs salt. smaka på = have a taste of.
Har du smakat på den nya osten?
Have you tried the new cheese? har smakat på — perfect of the 'sample' construction.
Barnen ville inte ens smaka på grönsakerna.
The kids didn't even want to taste the vegetables. smaka på, even reluctantly.
Without på, a bare object is also possible (smaka soppan), but in everyday speech smaka på is the more natural way to say "give it a taste."
Use 3: smaka — be worth a taste
A third, very common use is impersonal and conversational: at the table you ask Smakar det? ("Is it good?", literally "Does it taste?") to check that someone is enjoying their food. Swedes also use smaka — still with gott — to mean a drink or snack "hits the spot."
Smakar det? — Ja, det smakar utmärkt, tack!
Is it good? — Yes, it tastes excellent, thanks! Smakar det? is the standard 'enjoying it?' question at the table.
En kall öl skulle smaka gott nu.
A cold beer would hit the spot right now. smaka gott = would taste good / be just right.
Common Mistakes
❌ Maten smakar bra.
Wrong word — for flavour Swedish uses gott, not bra. bra is quality/ability.
✅ Maten smakar gott.
The food tastes good.
❌ Maten smakar god.
Almost — with the impersonal 'it/the food tastes', use the neuter gott, not god.
✅ Maten smakar gott.
The food tastes good.
❌ Smaka soppan om den är klar. (meaning 'try it')
Off — to sample, Swedish prefers smaka på: smaka på soppan.
✅ Smaka på soppan om den är klar.
Taste the soup to see if it's done.
❌ Det smakade dåligt.
Unidiomatic — for bad flavour Swedish says smaka illa, not smaka dåligt.
✅ Det smakade illa.
It tasted bad.
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