Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag mår bra.

Swedish uses the verb må (present mår) to talk about well-being. Jag mår bra = I feel well/I’m doing fine. Jag är bra literally means I am good (e.g., skilled or morally good). Use Jag är bra with abilities: Jag är bra på tennis, but not as a reply to “How are you?”

How do you pronounce the sentence?

Jag: often [jɑːɡ], but in casual speech commonly [jɑ] or [ja] (the g is weak or dropped).
mår: [moːr]. The å is a long vowel like the o in English “more” (without r-coloring). The r is pronounced.
bra: [brɑː], with a clear r (tapped/trilled in many accents). Natural prosody puts the main stress on mår and bra: Ja(g) mår BRA.

What are the forms of the verb må (“to feel”)?

Infinitive: må
Present: mår
Past (preterite): mådde
Supine (used with har): mått Examples:
Jag mår bra.
Jag mådde bra i går.
Jag har mått bra länge. Note: There is also an old-fashioned auxiliary må meaning “may” in set phrases (e.g., Må det gå dig väl), unrelated to well-being.

Is bra an adjective or an adverb? Why doesn’t it change?

Bra is invariable and works as both:

As an adverb/complement after mår: Jag mår bra.
As an adjective: en bra bok, ett bra hus, bra böcker (no endings). Comparatives are irregular: bättre (better), bäst (best). Example: Jag mår bättre i dag.

How do I say it in the negative, and what’s the nuance between Jag mår inte bra and Jag mår dåligt?

Standard negation in a main clause: subject + verb + inte → Jag mår inte bra. (“I’m not well,” often mild or neutral.)
Jag mår dåligt. is stronger and often implies being unwell/sick or in poor mental state. In a subordinate clause the order changes: …att jag inte mår bra.

How do I ask about someone’s well-being with this verb, and what’s the word order?

Open question: Hur mår du? (How are you?)
Yes–no question (inversion): Mår du bra?
With negation in a question: Mår du inte bra? Swedish main clauses follow V2 word order, so the finite verb comes early (after the first element), which is why you see inversion in questions.

Can I say Jag känner mig bra or Jag är frisk? What’s the difference?

Jag känner mig bra is grammatical but less idiomatic as a general “I’m fine.” More common is Jag mår bra. Use känner mig with specific states: Jag känner mig trött/sjuk/nervös.
Jag är frisk means “I am healthy (not ill),” a general health status. Jag mår bra focuses on how you feel right now. You can combine them: Jag är inte helt frisk, men jag mår ganska bra.

Is väl the Swedish equivalent of English “well”? Why not Jag mår väl?

Not here. Väl often functions as a modal particle meaning “I suppose/you know,” so Jag mår väl tends to mean “I guess I’m okay.” For well-being use bra, optionally with modifiers: Jag mår väldigt bra, ganska bra, inte så bra.

How do people answer informally in real life?

Typical replies to Hur mår du? include:

Bra, tack.
Det är bra.
Rätt bra / Ganska bra / Helt okej.
Sådär.
Inte så bra. In casual chat, a short Bra! by itself is perfectly natural.

How do I type the letter å?

Phones/tablets: long-press the A key and choose å, or switch to a Swedish keyboard.
Mac: Option (Alt) + A → å; Shift + Option + A → Å.
Windows: hold Alt and type 0229 (å) or 0197 (Å) on the numeric keypad, or add the Swedish keyboard layout.
Linux: add a Swedish layout, or use your system’s Compose key (varies by setup).