Swedish Skill:Verbs: Past

Verbs: Past is the thirtieth skill (assuming read left to right) in the language tree for Swedish. It has ten lessons which introduce the Swedish past tense.

Grammar Notes[]

Like the present tense, verbs in the past tense do not conjugate according to the actor. The past tense also acts as the past continuous tense.

-AR verbs[]

In -AR verbs, the -ar is dropped and -ade added to the stem. This pattern is regular and there are no exceptions. For example:

pratar, pratade = talk, talked (was/were talking)
simmar, simmade = swim, swam (was/were swimming)
öppnar, öppnade = open, opened (was/were opening)

-ER verbs[]

For -ER verbs there are three patterns:

Mostly, the -er is dropped and -de added to the stem.
If the stem ends with p, t, k, s then -te is added to the stem instead because it is easier to pronounce.
Where the stem ends with r and the present tense would not have a -er ending. In this case, -de is added to the stem.

Examples:

häller, hällde = pour, poured (was/were pouring)
ringer, ringde = phone or call, phoned (was/were phoning)
''läser, läste = read, read (was/were reading)
köper, köpte = buy, bought (was/were buying)
hör, hörde = hear, heard (was/were hearing)

R verbs[]

For short verbs ending with r, the r is dropped and -dde added to the stem. Examples:

tror, trodde = believe, believed (was/were believing)
bor, bodde = live, lived (was/were living)
klär, klädde = dress, dressed (was/were dressing)

Irregular verbs[]

For irregular verbs, there are several patterns. As English and Swedish are historically related, some of these patterns are also seen in irregular English verbs and this could be an easy way to remember them. On example is the vowel is changed instead of adding a suffix. Examples:

ser, såg = see, saw (was/were seeing)
är, var = is, was/were (was/were being)
kommer, kom = come, came (was/were coming)
springer, sprang = run, ran (was/were running)
dricker, drack = drink, drank (was/were drinking)
skriver, skrev, = write, wrote (was/were writing)

Lessons[]

Lesson 1[]

drack = drank
åkte = went (travelled to)
talade = spoke
åt = ate
gick = went
pratade = spoke, talked

Lesson 2[]

ville = wanted
kom = came
älskade = loved
regnade = rained
tyckte om = liked
simmade = swam
tappade = lost
såg = saw

Lesson 3[]

sade = said
hade = had
lyssnade = listened
lagade mat = cooked
lekte = played
fåg = saw
nyligen = recently
fåg = saw
arbetade = worked

Lesson 4[]

tackade = thanked
hittade = found
lämnade = left
berättade = told
gjorde = did
ställde = put, placed
lade = put, laid

Lesson 5[]

ringde = called (on the telephone)
förlorade = lost
stängde = closed
skrev = wrote
trodde = believed
tänkte = thought
tog = took

Lesson 6[]

fuck = got
gav = gave
dog = died
stöttade = supported
sprang = ran
sålde = sold
svängde = turned

Lesson 7[]

höll med = agreed
letade efter = looked for
kände = knew, felt
tittade = watched
behöll = kept
visste = knew
kom tillbaka = returned, came back

Lesson 8[]

presentarade = presented
visade = showed
köpte = bought
betalade = paid
hände = happened
vann = won
innehöll = contained

Lesson 9[]

svarade = answered
verkade = appeared, seemed
förklarade = explained
frågade = asked
dök upp = appeared, showed up (dök = dived)
öppnade = opened
fanns = existed, was

Lesson 10[]

stannade = stayed
litade = trusted
bodde = lived
väntade = waited
sov = slept
kom = came
vilade = rested

References[]

Duolingo Lesson: www.duolingo.com/skill/sv/Verbs-Past