Learn Hardcore Swedish: Vad betyder det här ordet på ditt språk? - What does this word mean in your language?

Vad – what. A question word.
betyder – means / does mean.
- Verb: infinitive betyda = to mean.
- betyder is the present tense form.
det – literally it/that, but here it’s part of the phrase det här (this).
här – here, but in det här it functions like this.
- det här together = this (neuter form).
ordet – the word.
- ord = word
- -et = definite ending for neuter nouns → ordet = the word.
på – literally on, but here used like in (as in in your language).
ditt – your (when the possessed noun is a neuter singular noun).
- Corresponds to du (you, singular).
språk – language.

So the structure in English is roughly: What means this word in your language?, which of course is What does this word mean in your language?

Why is it det här ordet and not just det ordet or detta ord?

All of these exist, but they’re not used in exactly the same way:

det här ordet = this word (neutral, very common in speech and writing).
det ordet = that word / that particular word (more like that specific one we mentioned; sounds a bit more pointed in this context).
detta ord = also this word, but:
- Slightly more formal / written style.
- Feels more “bookish” or old-fashioned in everyday speech.

In casual modern Swedish, if you are literally pointing at or referring to a word you see, det här ordet is the most natural choice. Detta ord is possible but feels more formal. Det ordet would usually refer back to a word already identified, like that word we talked about earlier.

Why does it say ordet and not just ord? What does the -et ending mean?

Swedish usually adds the definite article as a suffix at the end of the noun:

ett ord = a word (indefinite, neuter)
ordet = the word (definite, neuter, -et ending)

So:

det här ordet = this word (literally this the-word).

You could say det här ord in theory, but it would be ungrammatical; the noun must take the definite form here. Demonstratives like det här normally combine with the definite noun:

den här bilen – this car (common gender)
det här huset – this house (neuter)
det här ordet – this word (neuter)

Why is it på ditt språk and not i ditt språk or something else?

This is mostly about fixed preposition usage:

In Swedish, på is used in the expression på (ett) språk = in (a) language.
- på svenska – in Swedish
- på engelska – in English
- på mitt språk – in my language

So på ditt språk is the normal, idiomatic way to say in your language.

Using i ditt språk would sound odd or too literal; it could be used in very specific contexts (like inside your language system in a linguistic sense), but not for What does this mean in your language?

So you should memorize på + language as the standard pattern.

When do you use ditt, and how is it different from din and dina?

These are all your, but they agree with the noun:

din – with singular common-gender nouns:
- din bok – your book
- din bil – your car
ditt – with singular neuter nouns:
- ditt språk – your language
- ditt hus – your house
dina – with all plural nouns (both genders):
- dina böcker – your books
- dina hus – your houses

Here, språk is a neuter noun (ett språk), so we must use ditt: ditt språk.

For plural you (talking to more than one person), you’d use ert / er / era instead:

ert språk – your (you all’s) language (neuter)
er bok – your (you all’s) book (common gender)
era böcker – your (you all’s) books (plural)

How is the whole sentence pronounced, and are there any common reductions in speech?

One fairly standard pronunciation (Swedish from Stockholm region) is roughly:

Vad betyder det här ordet på ditt språk?
→ [vaːd bɛˈtyːdɛr deˈhɛːr ˈuːɖɛt poː dɪt ˈsprɔːk]

A few notes and common reductions in everyday speech:

vad is often pronounced more like va (the d is dropped):
- Va betyder det här ordet…?
det is often shortened so the t is weak or dropped in flowing speech:
- Sounds close to de.
här has a long vowel [ɛː]; make it clearly different from English “her”.
språk has a long å sound [oː], like in English “law” (in many accents) but more rounded.

Even if people say va betyder de här ordet… in fast speech, it’s still written Vad betyder det här ordet….

What is the difference between betyder and menar? Could I say Vad menar det här ordet…?

You generally should not say Vad menar det här ordet…? – that sounds wrong or at least very strange.

betyda (betyder) – to mean, in the sense of what a word or expression means.
- Vad betyder det här ordet? – What does this word mean?
mena (menar) – to mean, in the sense of what a person intends to say / wants to express.
- Vad menar du? – What do you mean? / What are you trying to say?

So:

Use betyder when you talk about words, sentences, signs, symbols.
Use menar when you talk about people and their intentions.

That’s why Vad betyder det här ordet på ditt språk? is correct, and Vad menar det här ordet…? is not.

How is the question structure different from English? Why no “does”?

Swedish question word order is simpler than English:

English: What does this word mean in your language?
- Question word (What)
- Auxiliary (does)
- Subject (this word)
- Main verb (mean)
Swedish: Vad betyder det här ordet på ditt språk?
- Question word (Vad)
- Main verb (betyder)
- Subject (det här ordet)
- Rest of the sentence (på ditt språk)

Swedish doesn’t use a “dummy” auxiliary like do/does to form questions. Instead, the finite verb comes right after the question word, then the subject:

Vad gör du? – What are you doing?
Var bor hon? – Where does she live?
När kommer de? – When are they coming?

So the pattern is: Question word + verb + subject (+ other stuff).

Is this sentence formal or informal? Is using ditt polite enough?

The sentence is neutral in terms of formality and perfectly polite in normal situations.

ditt corresponds to du (you, singular).
Modern Swedish uses du almost everywhere, even with strangers (shops, cafés, university, workplace, etc.).

If you were asking a group, you might say:

Vad betyder det här ordet på ert språk? – your (plural) language

Historically, ni (and its forms er / ert / era) were used as a formal you, but today that kind of politeness system is mostly gone. Using du / ditt is standard and not rude. Context (tone of voice, body language) carries most of the politeness.

Can I change or shorten the sentence and keep the same meaning?

Yes, several small variations are possible and natural:

Vad betyder ordet på ditt språk?
- You drop det här; now it’s just the word, but usually context makes clear which word.
Vad betyder det här ordet?
- You drop på ditt språk; then it’s just What does this word mean?
Vad betyder det på ditt språk?
- If it’s clear from context that det refers to a specific word or phrase you just showed or said.

All of these are grammatically fine.

The original form, Vad betyder det här ordet på ditt språk?, is just a very clear and explicit way of asking, especially if you’re pointing at a word or highlighting it in a text.