Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag vill förbättra min svenska med en kort övning varje dag. - I want to improve my Swedish with a short exercise every day.

In Swedish, modal verbs are followed by the infinitive without “att.” Common modals: vill, kan, ska, måste, får, bör, lär. So: Jag vill förbättra… (not “vill att förbättra…”).

Why is it “min svenska” and not “mitt svenska”?

Because svenska (as “the Swedish language”) is a common gender noun (an “en”-word): en svenska → min svenska. Use mitt only with “ett”-words.

Could I say “Jag vill förbättra svenskan” instead of “min svenska”?

That would usually mean “improve Swedish (the language) in general,” not your own skill. To talk about your ability, use min svenska or the pattern bli bättre på svenska.

What’s the difference between “förbättra min svenska” and “bli bättre på svenska”?

Förbättra min svenska = improve my Swedish (more direct, a bit formal/neutral).
Bli bättre på svenska = become better at Swedish (very idiomatic for personal skill). Both are fine here.

Why “en kort övning” and not “ett kort övning”?

Because övning is an “en”-word: en övning. Adjective agreement:

Indefinite singular: en kort övning, ett kort brev
Definite singular: den korta övningen
Plural: korta övningar, de korta övningarna

Is “övning” the best word here, or should I use “träning”?

For a discrete practice task, use övning. Träning is more like “training/practice” in general (often physical). You can say:

göra en (kort) övning
träna svenska (OK as a verb phrase) But “en kort träning” is unusual; better: ett kort träningspass (for sports).

Is “med” the right preposition in “med en kort övning”?

Yes. med often marks the means/instrument (“with/by doing”). genom (“by means of/through”) also works and sounds a bit more formal: …genom en kort övning…. via is too technical here.

Can I move “varje dag” to the front? What about other word orders?

All of these are fine, with slight differences in emphasis:

Jag vill förbättra min svenska med en kort övning varje dag. (neutral)
Varje dag vill jag förbättra min svenska med en kort övning. (emphasizes the daily routine)
Jag vill förbättra min svenska varje dag med en kort övning. (also OK) “Jag vill varje dag förbättra…” is possible but can feel a bit stiff or formal.

Why is it singular “dag” after “varje”? Why not “varje dagar”?

varje always takes an indefinite singular noun: varje dag, varje vecka, varje kväll. Never plural after “varje.”

Are there good alternatives to “varje dag”?

Yes:

dagligen = daily (adverb): “... dagligen.”
varenda dag = every single day (stronger emphasis).
om dagen / per dag = per day (rate/frequency), e.g., “en övning om dagen.”

How should I pronounce tricky parts like ö, ä, and ng?

ö (förbättra, övning): rounded vowel, like “u” in “fur” but lips rounded.
ä (bättra, svenska): short “eh” sound.
ng (övning): “ng” as in English “sing” (no hard “g”).
Jag: often pronounced “ja” in casual speech; the final “g” may be weak or silent.
kort: the “rt” often merges into a retroflex “t” sound in many accents.
svenska: “sk” is a plain “sk” here (before “a”), not the “sj”-sound.

Where would “inte” go if I want to negate the sentence?

Place inte after the finite verb (vill):

Jag vill inte förbättra min svenska… With fronted time: Varje dag vill jag inte… (means “Each day I don’t want to…”, which changes the focus.)

Can I drop the subject “Jag” like in some languages?

No. Swedish generally requires the subject pronoun. You need Jag here.

Is “vill” too strong? When would I use “skulle vilja”?

vill = I want (direct, neutral when talking about your own goals). skulle vilja = I would like (softer/polite or tentative). Both are fine in self-statements; use the softer form if you want to sound less forceful.

Can I say “förbättra mig i svenska”?

No. That’s not idiomatic. Use förbättra min svenska or bli bättre på svenska to express improving your skill.

Why “kort” and not “liten” for the exercise?

kort describes duration/length (a short exercise = takes little time).
liten describes size (a small exercise physically or in scope). Here, kort is the natural choice.