Learn Hardcore Swedish: Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten.

In Swedish main clauses, the finite verb (here vill) almost always comes in second position in the sentence. This is called V2 word order.

So the pattern here is:

Jag (subject)
vill (finite verb)
inte (negation / sentence adverb)
berätta (infinitive)
hemligheten (object)

That’s why it’s Jag vill inte … and not ✗Jag inte vill … in a main clause.

In a subordinate clause, the order changes, and inte usually comes before the verb:

… att jag *inte vill berätta hemligheten
“… that I *do not want to tell the secret.”

Why is there no att before berätta? Shouldn’t it be Jag vill inte att berätta hemligheten?

In Swedish, certain verbs work like modal verbs and are followed directly by an infinitive without att.

Common ones are:

vilja (vill) – want
kunna (kan) – can
måste – must
ska – shall / going to
bör – should

So you say:

Jag vill berätta hemligheten. – I want to tell the secret.
not ✗Jag vill att berätta hemligheten.

But with other verbs you do use att:

Jag lovar att berätta hemligheten. – I promise to tell the secret.
Jag försöker att berätta hemligheten. (often just försöker berätta) – I try to tell the secret.

What’s the difference between berätta, säga, and tala om in this kind of sentence?

Very roughly:

berätta = tell, narrate, relate
- Often used for stories, information, or secrets.
- Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten. – I don’t want to tell the secret.
säga = say
- More neutral, often for shorter utterances or single statements.
- Jag vill inte säga det. – I don’t want to say it.
tala om (or berätta
- för) = tell (someone)
- Focuses on telling someone something.
- Jag vill inte tala om hemligheten för dig.
- Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten för dig.
  – I don’t want to tell you the secret.

In this sentence, berätta hemligheten is natural and idiomatic for “tell the secret.”

Why is it hemligheten and not just hemlighet or en hemlighet?

Swedish usually puts “the” at the end of the noun as a suffix, not as a separate word:

hemlighet – a secret / secret (basic form)
en hemlighet – a secret (indefinite)
hemligheten – the secret (definite)

So hemlighet + en → hemligheten (“the secret”).

The English sentence “I don’t want to tell the secret” corresponds to:

Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten.

If you said Jag vill inte berätta en hemlighet, that would mean:

“I don’t want to tell a secret” – any secret, not a specific known one.

Could I just say Jag vill inte berätta and leave out hemligheten?

Yes, Jag vill inte berätta is a complete sentence in Swedish. It means:

“I don’t want to tell (it / anything).”

The object (what you don’t want to tell) is then understood from context.

Adding hemligheten makes it explicit:

Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten. – I don’t want to tell the secret.

Is it possible to say Jag vill berätta inte hemligheten like in German word order?

No, that word order is not natural in Swedish. The normal position for inte in a main clause is:

after the finite verb and before the rest of the verb phrase and object.

So:

✔ Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten.
✗ Jag vill berätta inte hemligheten. (sounds wrong)

The only time inte might move is for special emphasis or in poetry/songs, but in standard speech and writing, you should keep:
[subject] + [finite verb] + inte + [rest].

How does the word order change if I make it a question or start with something other than Jag?

Thanks to Swedish V2 word order, the finite verb still wants to be second.

Yes–no question:
- Vill du inte berätta hemligheten?
  “Don’t you want to tell the secret?”
  Here the verb vill comes first, then the subject du, then inte.
Fronting another element (e.g. time):
- Idag vill jag inte berätta hemligheten.
  “Today I don’t want to tell the secret.”
  Word order:
- Idag (1st element) – vill (2nd, finite verb) – jag – inte – berätta – hemligheten.
Subordinate clause:
- … att jag inte vill berätta hemligheten.
  “… that I don’t want to tell the secret.”
  In subordinate clauses: subject + inte
  - finite verb is normal.

How do you pronounce Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten? Anything tricky for an English speaker?

Key points:

Jag
- In many accents, the g is very soft or almost silent.
- Often sounds like “yah” [jɑː] or [jɑ].
vill
- Short i sound, like “vil” in Vil-helm. Not like English “wheel”.
inte
- Roughly “IN‑teh” [ˈɪntɛ], stress on the first syllable.
berätta
- Stress on the second syllable: be-RÄT-ta
- ä like the vowel in “bed”, but a bit more open.
hemligheten
- Stress on the first syllable: HEM-li-he-ten
- Again, e/ä are shorter, clearer vowels than in English.

Spoken quickly, some sounds may weaken or blend, e.g. Jag vill inte can sound close to “Ja vill inte”.

How do I say “I don’t want to tell you the secret” in Swedish, and where does the person go?

You normally add för before the person:

Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten för dig.
“I don’t want to tell you the secret.”

Word order:

Jag (subject)
vill (finite verb)
inte (negation)
berätta (infinitive)
hemligheten (direct object: the thing you tell)
för dig (indirect object: the person you tell it to)

You can also say:

Jag vill inte berätta för dig. – “I don’t want to tell you (it).”

Could I replace vill inte with other verbs like kan inte, orkar inte, or tänker inte? How would the meaning change?

Yes, but each verb changes the nuance:

Jag kan inte berätta hemligheten.
= I cannot tell the secret (I’m unable / not allowed / it’s impossible).
Jag orkar inte berätta hemligheten.
= I don’t have the energy to tell the secret (too tired / overwhelmed).
Jag tänker inte berätta hemligheten.
= I won’t / refuse to tell the secret (stronger, more defiant).
Jag vill inte berätta hemligheten.
= I don’t want to tell the secret (focus on lack of desire).

The grammar (placement of inte, no att before berätta) stays the same with these modal‑like verbs.