{"id":3385,"date":"2015-07-28T19:58:41","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T19:58:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/?p=3385"},"modified":"2015-07-28T19:59:56","modified_gmt":"2015-07-28T19:59:56","slug":"top-5-mistakes-that-students-of-swedish-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/top-5-mistakes-that-students-of-swedish-make\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Mistakes That Students Of Swedish Make"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every language learner trips and falls head first into a faux pas now and again: it\u2019s part of the rite of passage on the path to obtaining fluency. And why should learning Swedish be any different? Here are the most common mistakes that students of Swedish make:<\/p>\n

1. Mixing up articles<\/b><\/p>\n

English speakers are spoilt since we have only \u2018a\u2019 or \u2018an\u2019 for our indefinite articles. But in Swedish, like with so many languages, there are masculine (en<\/i>) and feminine (ett<\/i>) forms used. As for definite articles, these two words are incorporated into the actual noun as a suffix. To give an example: en bok, boken<\/i> (a book, the book) and ett hus, huset<\/i> (a house, the house).<\/p>\n

\"Photo_1<\/a><\/i>\"Ett hus\" means \"a house\" while\u00a0the \"huset\" means \"the house\"\u00a0\/\u00a0<\/em>via<\/i> Wikimedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

2. Using pitch incorrectly<\/b><\/p>\n

Similar to how the stress of a word changes the meaning in English, altering the pitch can entirely change the meaning of words in Swedish too. The typical example of this is anden<\/i>, which, depending on how you pitch it, can mean \u201cthe duck\u201d or \u201cthe spirit\u201d. There are around 200 of these such pitched words, and there\u2019s nothing for it but to memorise them all.<\/p>\n

\"Photo_2<\/a>\"Anden\" can mean \"duck\" or \"spirit\" depending on pronunciation<\/i>\u00a0\/ via\u00a0<\/i>Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Not pronouncing double consonants<\/b><\/p>\n

In English when two consonants appear next to each other, they blend into one - think \u2018yellow\u2019, for example. But in Swedish, both are pronounced: if you don\u2019t pronounce them, you are in danger of saying completely the wrong word. For example, gratis<\/i> means free, but grattis<\/i> means congratulations. Think of it like an exaggerated lengthening of the consonant or almost like a glottal stop.<\/p>\n

4. Confusing irregular verbs<\/b><\/p>\n

Irregular verbs are a curse for any language learner. They are yet another list of words to \u201cjust learn\u201d rather than learn via a set of useful rules. A typical one for mistakes is the conjugation of the word gr\u00e5ta <\/i>(cry). In English this is \u201ccry, cried, cried\u201d, nice and regular, but in Swedish it is gr\u00e5ta, gr\u00e4t, gr\u00e5tit,<\/i> with gr\u00e4t <\/i>often mistakenly replaced with gr\u00e4tade <\/i>by learners.<\/p>\n

\"Photo_3<\/a>\"Gr\u00e5ta\" meaning \"to cry\" is often misconjugated by English speakers \/ via<\/i>\u00a0<\/i>Wikimedia<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

5. Mixing up rules when using the infinitive<\/b><\/p>\n

When you\u2019re juggling a million things learning a new language, you\u2019re going to drop something sometime. In Swedish, this is often the correct use of the infinitive. Knowing when to use the infinitive of the conjugated form of a verb is a big hurdle to get over. The golden rule is that following a conjugated verb, the infinitive form should be used. For example: \u201cI must run\u201d should be s\u00e5 m\u00e5ste jag springar<\/i> rather than s\u00e5 m\u00e5ste jag springa<\/i>.<\/p>\n

So there you have it. Some common errors but let\u2019s be honest, there are worse language crimes than these, aren\u2019t there? Even so, it\u2019s good to know that there are other learners making the same mistakes as you --a sort of \u201cwe\u2019re in this together\u201d kind of feeling that makes you feel less silly. How about a course, where you can practice with fellow learners of the same level, on your own, or online if you\u2019d like! Contact us<\/a> and start improving your Swedish today!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every language learner trips and falls head first into a faux pas now and again: it\u2019s part of the rite of passage on the path to obtaining fluency. And why should learning Swedish be any different? Here are the most common mistakes that students of Swedish make: 1. Mixing up articles English speakers are spoilt(\u2026)<\/p>\n

\n
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