Jag gillar mat.

I like food.

Breakdown of Jag gillar mat.

• jag: I
• gilla: to like
• maten: the food

Questions & Answers about Jag gillar mat.

Why do we say mat (food) instead of something like maten (the food)?

Swedish differentiates between the indefinite form (mat) and the definite form (maten). In this sentence, we’re talking about food in a general sense, so the indefinite form is the natural choice. If we said "Jag gillar maten," it would imply we’re referring to a specific set of food (for example, the food at a particular meal).

What is the difference between gillar and tycker om?

They both generally mean "like," but gillar is often considered a bit more casual or colloquial than tycker om. In everyday speech, you’ll hear Jag gillar mat and Jag tycker om mat used almost interchangeably.

Could I say Jag älskar mat instead of Jag gillar mat?

Yes, you could. However, Jag älskar mat (I love food) might sound stronger or more emphatic. In contexts where you just want to express normal liking, "Jag gillar mat" or "Jag tycker om mat" is most common.

Why is there no word for "to" in the sentence? In English, we say "I like to eat food."

In Swedish, when expressing a general liking for something, you don’t need a separate "to" particle. If you want to say you like doing something, you could say "Jag gillar att äta mat" (I like to eat food). The word "att" is the equivalent of "to" in that case, but it only appears before verbs, not nouns.

Do I need to pronounce the g in "gillar" softly, like in English?

No, in Swedish the g in "gillar" is pronounced as a hard g, similar to "g" in "go" or "give." It might take some getting used to if you’re a native English speaker, but it becomes natural with practice.