Jag tycker mycket om kaffe.

I like coffee very much.

Breakdown of Jag tycker mycket om kaffe.

• jag: I
• kaffet: the coffee
• tycka om: to like
• mycket: very

Questions & Answers about Jag tycker mycket om kaffe.

What does tycker om literally mean, and why is om there?

Tycker om is a two-part (particle) verb that together means “to like / to be fond of.”

• Tycker by itself mainly means “think, have an opinion” (about something).
  
  • Jag tycker att… = I think that…
• When you add the particle om, the meaning changes to “to like, be fond of”.
  
  • Jag tycker om kaffe. = I like coffee.

So, om here doesn’t mean “about” or “if”; it’s just part of the verb tycker om and must be there to get the “like” meaning.

How is tycker om different from gillar?

Both tycker om and gillar usually translate as “to like.”

• Jag tycker om kaffe.
• Jag gillar kaffe.

Both mean I like coffee. The difference is mostly style and nuance:

• Tycker om is very common and slightly more neutral or soft.
• Gillar is short, modern, and a bit more informal in feel.

In everyday speech, you can often use either one. In this sentence, Jag tycker mycket om kaffe and Jag gillar kaffe väldigt mycket are both fine.

Why is mycket placed between tycker and om?

In Swedish, adverbs like mycket (“much, a lot, very”) often go:

subject + verb + adverb + (rest of the verb phrase)

Here, tycker om is a particle verb, and it’s completely normal to put mycket between the verb and the particle:

• Jag tycker mycket om kaffe. = I like coffee very much / I like coffee a lot.

So the structure is:

• Jag (I)
• tycker (like)
• mycket (very much)
• om kaffe (coffee)

Can I put mycket somewhere else, like Jag tycker om kaffe mycket?

The most natural and standard way is:

• Jag tycker mycket om kaffe.

You sometimes might hear Jag tycker om kaffe mycket, but it can sound a bit awkward or give a different rhythm/emphasis. For a learner, it’s best to stick to:

• Jag tycker mycket om kaffe.
• Or, for extra emphasis: Jag tycker verkligen väldigt mycket om kaffe.

Avoid Jag mycket tycker om kaffe – that word order is wrong.

Why is there no article before kaffe?

In Swedish, kaffe is often treated as a mass (uncountable) noun when you talk about coffee in general:

• Jag tycker mycket om kaffe. = I like coffee (in general) very much.

You only use an article when you mean a specific coffee or a unit:

• Jag tycker om kaffet. = I like the coffee (this particular coffee).
• Jag vill ha en kaffe. = I’d like a coffee (one coffee / one cup of coffee).

In your sentence, we mean coffee in general, so no article is used.

What tense is tycker here, and why isn’t it like English “am liking”?

Tycker is in the present tense. Swedish has only one present tense form, which covers both:

• English simple present: I like coffee.
• English present continuous: I am drinking coffee.

So:

• Jag tycker mycket om kaffe. = I like coffee very much.

Swedish does not use a progressive form like “I am liking” for states such as “like.” You just use the simple present tycker.

Do Swedish verbs change form depending on the subject, like I like / he likes?

No. Modern Swedish verbs do not change with the subject. The form tycker is used for all persons:

• Jag tycker (I like)
• Du tycker (you like)
• Han / hon / den / det tycker (he / she / it likes)
• Vi tycker (we like)
• Ni tycker (you all like)
• De tycker (they like)

So you never add an -s like in English he likes; you just keep tycker.

Can I say Jag älskar kaffe instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

• Jag älskar kaffe. = I love coffee.

But älskar is stronger than tycker om:

• tycker om ≈ like, be fond of
• älskar = love (a strong feeling, or a very strong liking)

In everyday speech, people do say Jag älskar kaffe if they really, really like coffee. Jag tycker mycket om kaffe is slightly milder and sounds a bit more neutral or modest.

How do I say “I don’t like coffee very much” in Swedish?

Common ways to say that are:

• Jag tycker inte så mycket om kaffe.
• Jag tycker inte särskilt mycket om kaffe.

Structure:

• inte (not) goes after the verb tycker but before om:
  
  • Jag tycker inte om kaffe. = I don’t like coffee.

• When you add mycket / så mycket / särskilt mycket, it stays after tycker and before om:

  • Jag tycker inte så mycket om kaffe. = I don’t like coffee very much.

Can I use tycker om with other things, not just kaffe?

Yes, tycker om is very flexible. You can use it with:

1. Nouns (things, people, places)

   • Jag tycker om musik. = I like music.
   • Jag tycker om henne. = I like her.
   • Jag tycker om Sverige. = I like Sweden.

2. Verbs (activities), using att

   • infinitive
   • Jag tycker om att läsa. = I like to read / I like reading.
   • Jag tycker om att laga mat. = I like cooking.

3. Pronouns

   • Jag tycker om dig. = I like you.

So the pattern is: tycker om + [noun/pronoun] or tycker om att + [verb].

What does om usually mean, and why doesn’t it mean that here?

On its own, om often means:

• “if”: Om det regnar… = If it rains…
• “about”: Vi pratar om filmen. = We’re talking about the movie.

But in tycker om, om is a particle, not a separate word with its usual meaning. It combines with tycker to form a single verb tycker om = to like. Many Swedish verbs work this way:

• ser på (look at / watch)
• går ut (go out)

So you should learn tycker om as one unit meaning “like.”

How do you pronounce tycker, mycket, and kaffe?

Approximate pronunciations (Swedish varies by region, but this is a common standard):

• tycker ≈ “TÜK-ker”

  • y is a front rounded vowel, between English i in sit and French u in tu.
  • ck is a double k sound.

• mycket ≈ “MÜK-ket”

  • Same y sound as in tycker.
  • Double k again.

• kaffe ≈ “KAF-feh”

  • Short a, like in cup but a bit more open.
  • Double f (a long f sound), then a short e at the end.

Altogether, Jag tycker mycket om kaffe might sound roughly like:
“Yag TÜK-ker MÜK-ket om KAF-feh” (with Jag usually more like “Yag” or “Ya”).