Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag har ringt dig två gånger idag.

Har ringt is the present perfect tense. It’s formed with the auxiliary verb har (have) plus the supine form of the main verb, here ringt (called). The pattern is: subject + har + supine.

Why does Swedish use the perfect tense here, while English often uses the simple past (“I called you twice today”)?

In Swedish, the perfect is the default past tense for actions with present relevance. Saying Jag har ringt dig implies the calls are relevant right now (for example, you still haven’t answered). English can say simple past to report an event, but Swedish prefers perfect in most spoken contexts when the result still matters.

Can I also say Jag ringde dig två gånger idag? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s grammatically correct. Jag ringde dig uses the preterite (simple past). The difference is nuance: ringde is more of a neutral past report; har ringt stresses that the calls still matter (e.g. “I’ve been trying to reach you”). In everyday spoken Swedish, perfect is more common if the action links to the present.

Why is dig placed immediately after har ringt? Could it go elsewhere?

Dig is the direct object pronoun “you.” In Swedish main clauses, objects follow the finite verb or verb phrase: subject + verb/fixed verb phrase + object. You could place time expressions elsewhere (e.g. Idag har jag ringt dig två gånger), but dig stays right after har ringt.

What’s the difference between ringa dig and ringa till dig?

Both mean “call you,” but:

Ringa dig uses the direct object pronoun directly.
Ringa till dig literally “ring to you,” using the preposition till plus the object.
Colloquially they’re almost interchangeable, but ringa dig is slightly more direct and common in spoken Swedish.

What does två gånger idag express, and why is it at the end?

Två gånger means “twice,” and idag means “today.” They form adverbial phrases indicating frequency and time. In Swedish you can put short time/frequency expressions either right after the verb phrase or at the end. Placing them at the end (as here) is very natural: Jag har ringt dig [verb phrase] + två gånger idag [adverbial].

How do you pronounce två gånger idag?

Två: sounds like “tvoh,” with the rounded vowel /oː/ (similar to the vowel in English “toe” but more rounded).
Gånger: “GONG-er,” with a hard G /ɡ/ in both syllables and the Swedish /ɔ/ vowel (like “o” in “or”).
Idag: “ee-DAHG,” stress on the second syllable, /iˈdɑːɡ/.

Can I use a particle with ringa, like “call up”? For example, har ringt upp dig?

Yes. Ringa upp is a separable verb meaning “to call up.” In the present perfect, the particle often appears next to the main verb: Jag har ringt upp dig also means “I have called you.” It’s slightly more formal or emphasizes the act of placing the call, but in everyday speech har ringt dig is perfectly standard.