Learn Hardcore Swedish: Tillsammans skapar vi nytt material och en ny vana: att läsa svenska varje morgon. - Together we create new material and a new habit: to read Swedish every morning.

material is an ett-word (neuter): ett material → nytt material
- neuter singular: nytt
vana is an en-word (common gender): en vana → en ny vana
- common singular: ny
plural of both genders: nya (e.g. nya vanor, nya material)

So:

nytt material = new material (material = ett-word)
en ny vana = a new habit (vana = en-word)

Why is there no article before nytt material, but there is en before ny vana?

Two different things are happening:

vana is a countable noun (a habit, one habit, many habits). When you introduce a single countable thing, you normally use an indefinite article:
- en vana → en ny vana
material is often used as an uncountable / mass noun (like water, information, homework in English). For uncountable nouns in Swedish, you often omit the indefinite article when you mean “some (unspecified) material”:
- nytt material ≈ “new material” / “some new material”
- You could say ett nytt material, but that usually suggests “a new type/kind of material,” more concrete or specific.

So here, nytt material means some new material, not a new (specific) material.

Why is it läsa svenska and not läsa svenskan or läsa den svenska?

When referring to languages in Swedish after verbs like tala, läsa, skriva, förstå, you usually use the language name without any article:

läsa svenska – read Swedish (read texts in Swedish / practice the language)
tala svenska – speak Swedish
förstå svenska – understand Swedish

Svenskan with the definite ending -n is used more like “the Swedish (language as a subject/field)”:

Jag tycker att svenskan är svår. – I think Swedish (as a subject) is hard.
Svenskan har många dialekter. – Swedish has many dialects.

But after läsa, tala, etc., you normally say svenska without an article: läsa svenska varje morgon.

What is the function of att in att läsa svenska? Is it “to” or “that”?

In this sentence, att is the marker of the infinitive, like “to” in English “to read”:

läsa = read
att läsa = to read

So att läsa svenska = to read Swedish.

Swedish att can also mean “that” (a conjunction introducing a clause), but here it is clearly followed by an infinitive verb (läsa), so it is the infinitive marker, not “that.”

Why is läsa in the infinitive form here? Why not läser?

After words like ett mål, en plan, en vana, en idé, Swedish often uses att + infinitive to describe the activity:

en vana: att läsa svenska – a habit: to read Swedish
en plan: att resa till Sverige – a plan: to travel to Sweden
mitt mål är att prata flytande – my goal is to speak fluently

So because we are naming/defining the habit, we use the infinitive:
en ny vana: att läsa svenska varje morgon = “a new habit: (namely) to read Swedish every morning.”

Why does the sentence start with Tillsammans skapar vi and not Vi skapar tillsammans? Are both correct?

Both are grammatically correct, but they have different emphasis and slightly different word order rules.

Vi skapar nytt material tillsammans …
- Neutral order: subject (vi) – verb (skapar) – others.
- tillsammans comes later, as an adverb.
Tillsammans skapar vi nytt material …
- Here tillsammans (together) is put in first position for emphasis: “Together, we create…”
- In Swedish main clauses, the finite verb must be in second position (V2 rule).
- So if tillsammans is first, the verb skapar must come second, and the subject vi comes after the verb:
  - 1st: Tillsammans
  - 2nd: skapar (verb)
  - 3rd: vi (subject)

You cannot say ✗ Tillsammans vi skapar … – that breaks the V2 rule.

Starting with Tillsammans makes the “together” aspect more prominent and a bit more motivational/collective in tone.

What does tillsammans actually mean, and where can it go in a sentence?

tillsammans means “together” (doing something jointly):

Vi arbetar tillsammans. – We work together.
Tillsammans kan vi göra skillnad. – Together we can make a difference.

Typical positions:

After the verb or object in a neutral sentence:
Vi skapar nytt material tillsammans.
At the beginning for emphasis (then verb must be second):
Tillsammans skapar vi nytt material.

Both are common and natural.

Why is there a colon (:) after en ny vana?

In Swedish, the colon : is often used to introduce an explanation, example, or clarification of what comes before it—very similar to English.

Here:

en ny vana: att läsa svenska varje morgon

The part after the colon explains or defines what the “new habit” is. You could paraphrase it as:

en ny vana, nämligen att läsa svenska varje morgon
(a new habit, namely to read Swedish every morning)

So the colon works just like in English: “a new habit: to read Swedish every morning.”

Why is it varje morgon (singular) and not a plural like varje morgnar?

After varje (each / every), Swedish always uses the singular form of the noun:

varje dag – every day
varje vecka – every week
varje morgon – every morning

If you want to use a plural, you switch to alla (all) instead:

alla dagar – all days
alla morgnar – all mornings

So:

varje morgon = every morning (singular)
alla morgnar = all mornings (plural)

What is the nuance of varje morgon? Could I also say alla morgnar?

Yes, but they feel a bit different:

varje morgon – “every morning” in a regular, habitual sense. Focus on the routine.
alla morgnar – “all mornings.” This feels more like every single one without exception, or can sound a bit heavier/dramatic depending on context.

For a normal daily language-learning routine, varje morgon is the most natural choice.

Could I say att läsa på svenska instead of att läsa svenska? What is the difference?

There is a subtle difference:

läsa svenska
- Focus: the language itself as the thing you study/practice.
- Often means reading to learn or practice Swedish.
- Example: Jag försöker läsa svenska varje dag.
läsa på svenska
- Focus: the language used for the reading activity.
- Means “read in Swedish” (e.g., books, news, instructions written in Swedish).
- Example: Jag läser nyheterna på svenska. – I read the news in Swedish.

In the sentence att läsa svenska varje morgon, the idea is specifically practicing the Swedish language, so läsa svenska is perfect.
läsa på svenska varje morgon would sound more like “read (whatever texts) in Swedish every morning.”

Why is the verb skapar used instead of gör? What is the difference?

Both skapa and göra can be translated as “to make”, but they have different nuances:

skapa – to create, often something new, original, or produced with intention/creativity:
- skapa konst – create art
- skapa nytt material – create new material
- skapa en ny vana – create a new habit
göra – to do or make in a more general sense:
- göra läxan – do homework
- göra mat – make food
- göra en övning – do an exercise

In motivational or educational contexts, skapa nytt material and skapa en ny vana sound more positive and creative, which is why skapar is used here.

How is tillsammans pronounced, and where is the stress?

tillsammans is pronounced approximately:

[til-SAM-mans]
- The main stress is on the second syllable: -sam-.
- The ll is like a single l in most accents.
- The a in -sam- is like the a in English “father” (but shorter).
- Final -ans has a reduced vowel; often sounds like -uns in casual speech.

So roughly: til-SAHM-uns (with stress on SAHM).

Could you leave out att and just say en ny vana: läsa svenska varje morgon?

In informal or headliny / slogan style, Swedish sometimes drops att before an infinitive:

Målet: springa en mil. – The goal: run 10 km.
Drömmen: bo vid havet. – The dream: live by the sea.

So en ny vana: läsa svenska varje morgon is possible in a more graphic, poster-like style.
However, in normal, neutral prose, att läsa svenska varje morgon is more standard and feels more complete/grammatical.

Could vi be dropped, like in some languages (“Together create new material”)?

No. In Swedish, you normally must include the subject pronoun:

Tillsammans skapar vi nytt material … – correct
✗ Tillsammans skapar nytt material … – incorrect (missing subject)

Unlike Spanish or Italian, Swedish is not a “pro-drop” language; the subject pronoun (jag, du, vi, de, etc.) is usually required in finite verb clauses.