Jag vill minska risken.

I want to reduce the risk.

Breakdown of Jag vill minska risken.

• jag: I
• vilja: to want
• risken: the risk
• minska: to reduce

Questions & Answers about Jag vill minska risken.

What are the individual words in Jag vill minska risken and their basic functions?

• Jag = I (subject pronoun)
• vill = want (to) (modal-like verb)
• minska = to reduce (infinitive verb)
• risken = the risk (noun in definite form)

The word order is Subject – Verb – Verb – Object, which is normal in Swedish when you have a verb like vill followed by another verb.

Why is minska in the infinitive form, and why is there no att (to) before it?

In Swedish, when certain verbs are followed by another verb, you do not use att before the second verb.

Common verbs like vill (want), kan (can), ska (shall/going to), måste (must) are followed directly by an infinitive:

• Jag vill minska risken. – I want to reduce the risk.
• Jag kan simma. – I can swim.
• Jag ska äta. – I’m going to eat.

So minska stays in bare infinitive, without att.

What kind of verb is vill, and does it change with the subject?

Vill comes from the verb vilja (to want). In the present tense it is the same for all persons:

• Jag vill – I want
• Du vill – You want
• Han/Hon/Den/Det vill – He/She/It wants
• Vi vill – We want
• Ni vill – You (plural/formal) want
• De vill – They want

So you never say something like “jag villar” or “han vills”; it is always just vill in the present tense.

Why is it risken and not just risk or en risk?

Risken is the definite singular form: risk (risk) → risken (the risk).

In English, we often say “reduce the risk” rather than “reduce a risk”, and Swedish behaves similarly here. When you talk about a specific, known or expected risk, you normally use the definite form:

• Jag vill minska risken. – I want to reduce the risk (a particular risk we have in mind).

You could say minska en risk (reduce a risk), but that would sound more like one/any risk, not the specific risk we’re talking about.

Is risk an en-word or an ett-word, and how do I know?

Risk is an en-word:

• en risk – a risk
• risken – the risk
• risker – risks
• riskerna – the risks

There is no simple rule that always tells you whether a noun is en or ett; you usually have to learn it together with the noun. But many abstract nouns like risk, idé, plan, chans are en-words.

Can I say Jag vill minska riskerna instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, that is correct Swedish, but the meaning changes:

• Jag vill minska risken. – I want to reduce the risk (one general/specific risk).
• Jag vill minska riskerna. – I want to reduce the risks (several different risks).

You choose risken (singular) or riskerna (plural) depending on whether you are talking about one overall risk or multiple separate risks.

Could I use reducera instead of minska? Are they the same?

You can say:

• Jag vill reducera risken.

This is grammatically correct and understandable.

However, minska is more common and more neutral in everyday Swedish. Reducera sounds a bit more formal or technical, like in official or scientific texts. In normal conversation, minska is usually the better choice.

How would I say “I would like to reduce the risk” more politely in Swedish?

Use skulle vilja instead of just vill:

• Jag skulle vilja minska risken. – I would like to reduce the risk.

Jag vill is not rude, but it is more direct (“I want”). Jag skulle vilja softens it, similar to English “I would like”.

Where do adverbs go in a sentence like this? For example, “I really want to reduce the risk.”

Adverbs like verkligen (really), inte (not), alltid (always) usually go after the first verb:

• Jag vill verkligen minska risken. – I really want to reduce the risk.
• Jag vill inte minska risken. – I don’t want to reduce the risk.
• Jag vill alltid minska risken. – I always want to reduce the risk.

Pattern: Subject – first verb – adverb – second verb – object.

How do you pronounce Jag vill minska risken?

Approximate pronunciation (Swedish-standard):

• Jag – like yahg (soft g, sometimes almost just ya).
• vill – like English vill in villain, short i sound.
• minska – MIN-ska, stress on the first syllable, short i; sk as in skate.
• risken – RIS-ken, stress on RIS; the r and s in risken often blend into a single sound [ʂ] in many accents, but you can still say a clear r
  • s as a learner.

Overall rhythm: Jag vill MIN-ska RIS-ken, main stress on minska and risken.