Basic word order

The V2 Rule: Subject-Verb-Object

In simple statements, Swedish word order is just like English: Subject-Verb-Object (SVO). The subject (doing the action) comes first, the verb comes second, and the object (receiving the action) comes third.

This follows a core rule of Swedish grammar called the V2 rule: in a standard main clause, the verb is always the second piece of information.

I cook the food.
Jag lagar maten.
She washes the car.
Hon tvättar bilen.
They find the cat.
De hittar katten.

Adding Details

When you add extra information—like a location or a quantity—the core SVO order remains the same.

He cooks the food here.
Han lagar maten här.
We speak a lot of Swedish.
Vi pratar mycket svenska.

Connecting Sentences

When you link two complete thoughts with och (and), each half of the sentence follows its own SVO order. Notice how the second clause below uses den (it) as the object to refer back to the en word bollen (the ball).

I throw the ball and the dog fetches it.
Jag kastar bollen och hunden hämtar den.
Practice this lesson