Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag lär mig svenska varje dag.

Swedish uses the reflexive verb lära sig to mean “to learn.” Literally it’s “teach oneself.” Without the reflexive pronoun, lära means “to teach.” So:

Jag lär mig … = I learn …
Jag lär … = I teach …

In the sentence, mig (myself) is required to get the “learn” meaning.

Can I say “Jag lär svenska” instead?

Not if you mean “I’m learning Swedish.” Jag lär svenska means “I teach Swedish.” To say you’re learning it, you need the reflexive: Jag lär mig svenska.

How does “lära sig” change with different subjects?

The verb stays lär in present, but the reflexive pronoun changes:

Jag lär mig
Du lär dig
Han/hon/hen lär sig
Vi lär oss
Ni lär er
De lär sig

Where does the reflexive pronoun go when there’s another verb (like want, can, going to)?

With a modal or auxiliary, the reflexive pronoun attaches to the infinitive lära, not the modal:

Jag vill lära mig svenska. (not “Jag mig vill …”)
Jag ska lära mig svenska.
Jag har lärt mig svenska.
Jag började lära mig svenska.

How do I negate this? Where does “inte” go?

Place inte after the finite verb and after any object pronoun, but before a full noun object:

Jag lär mig inte svenska varje dag. Here, the pronoun mig comes before inte, and the noun svenska comes after it.

Does Swedish have a separate “-ing” (progressive) tense?

No. Swedish present covers both “I learn” and “I am learning.” If you want to stress an ongoing process, you can say:

Jag håller på att lära mig svenska.

Why isn’t “svenska” capitalized?

Names of languages are not capitalized in Swedish: svenska, engelska, tyska, etc. It’s only capitalized at the start of a sentence.

Do I need an article before “svenska”?

No. Languages used as objects normally take no article: Jag lär mig svenska, Jag talar svenska. To say “the Swedish language” specifically, use svenska språket.

Can I use “svenskan” here?

Generally no. Svenskan = “the Swedish language” as a topic (e.g., Svenskan har många vokaler). In “learning” contexts, use bare svenska: Jag lär mig svenska (not “svenskan”).

Can I move “varje dag” earlier in the sentence?

Yes. For emphasis on time, front it and obey the verb‑second rule:

Neutral: Jag lär mig svenska varje dag.
Time-first: Varje dag lär jag mig svenska. Note that the finite verb (lär) must be second.

Why is it “varje dag” (singular), not “varje dagar”?

Varje (“every/each”) always takes a singular, indefinite noun: varje dag, varje vecka, varje månad. “Varje dagar” is incorrect.

How do I pronounce the tricky parts?

lär ≈ “lair,” with a long “e” sound [lɛːr]
mig is usually pronounced like “mej” in everyday speech
svenska ≈ “SVEN-ska” ([ˈsvɛn.ska]); the “sk” here is a plain “sk,” not “sh”
varje ≈ “VAR-yeh” ([ˈvar.je])
dag often [dɑːg] (g may be weak in some accents)

Could I use another verb instead of “lära sig”?

Yes, depending on nuance:

läsa svenska = study Swedish (as a subject)
plugga svenska = study/cram Swedish (colloquial)
studera svenska = study Swedish (formal/academic)
öva svenska = practice Swedish All work with varje dag: e.g., Jag läser svenska varje dag.

How do I say I’m teaching myself (self-study) every day?

You can add emphasis with:

Jag lär mig svenska själv varje dag.
Jag lär mig svenska på egen hand varje dag. Placing själv at the end emphasizes that you’re doing it on your own.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?

Invert the subject and the verb (no “do”-support in Swedish):

Lär jag mig svenska varje dag?

How do I say it in the past or present perfect?

Simple past: Jag lärde mig svenska varje dag (over a past period)
Present perfect: Jag har lärt mig svenska varje dag (typically with a time frame implied, e.g., “den senaste månaden”)

Is “vardag” the same as “varje dag”?

No. vardag = a weekday/ordinary day; varje dag = every day. Don’t confuse them:

Jag lär mig svenska varje dag (every day)
vardagar = weekdays (Mon–Fri)

Any synonyms for “varje dag”?

varenda dag (every single day, stronger)
dagligen (daily, formal/adverb): Jag lär mig svenska dagligen.
var dag (each day, somewhat formal/poetic)