A1 · Principiante Capítulo 63

Basic Verbs

4 Reglas totales
48 ejemplos
1 min
Reglas en este capítulo Práctica rápida

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the three essential pillars of Swedish communication to express who you are, what you have, and what you do.

  • Conjugate the irregular verbs vara, ha, and göra in the present tense.
  • Express identity, possession, and activity using simple sentence structures.
  • Apply basic SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) word order in everyday contexts.
The Big Three: Identity, Possession, and Action.

Lo que aprenderás

Common verbs like 'vara', 'ha', 'göra'. Building the foundation for sentence construction.

  • Vara (To be)
    In Swedish, 'vara' is always 'är' in the present—it's the easiest verb you'll ever learn!
  • Ha (To have)
    In Swedish, 'ha' is always 'har' in the present tense, making it the easiest verb to learn!
  • Göra (To do)
    Use 'gör' for present actions and 'gjorde' for past actions.
  • Basic Verb Usage
    Just add -r to the verb and you are done; no need to worry about who is doing the action!

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to introduce yourself and describe your state of being using 'är' (am/is/are).
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to list items you possess using the present tense of 'ha'.
  3. 3
    By the end you will be able to answer the question 'Vad gör du?' (What are you doing?) using 'gör'.
  4. 4
    By the end you will be able to assemble a complete Swedish sentence following standard word order.

Ejemplos clave (8)

1

Jag är glad.

I am happy.

Vara (To be)
2

Du är snäll.

You are kind.

Vara (To be)
3

Jag har en hund.

I have a dog.

Ha (To have)
4

Har du en penna?

Do you have a pen?

Ha (To have)
5

Jag gör läxor.

I am doing homework.

Göra (To do)
6

Vad gör du?

What are you doing?

Göra (To do)
7

Jag äter äpple.

I am eating an apple.

Basic Verb Usage
8

Du dricker vatten.

You are drinking water.

Basic Verb Usage

Consejos y trucos (3)

💡

Don't conjugate!

Remember, 'har' is the same for everyone. Don't add endings.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ha (To have)
💡

Don't overthink it

Göra is the default verb. If you don't know the specific verb, use göra.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Göra (To do)
💡

Listen for the -r

When listening, the -r is a great marker for present tense.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Basic Verb Usage

Vocabulario clave (7)

vara to be ha to have göra to do / to make glad happy en bok a book nu now här here

Real-World Preview

coffee

Meeting at a Café

Review Summary

  • Subject + är + Adjective/Noun
  • Subject + har + Noun
  • Subject + gör + Noun/Activity
  • S + V + O

Errores comunes

Learners often use 'göra' when they should use 'vara' to describe a state. Use 'är' for feelings and adjectives.

Wrong: Jag gör trött. (I do tired.)
Correcto: Jag är trött. (I am tired.)

Don't forget the '-r' at the end of the verb! In the present tense, almost all Swedish verbs end in 'r'.

Wrong: Jag ha en hund. (I have a dog.)
Correcto: Jag har en hund. (I have a dog.)

While Swedish has a rule called V2 (Verb Second), in basic sentences, always stick to Subject-Verb-Object to avoid confusion.

Wrong: Här jag är. (Here I am.)
Correcto: Jag är här. (I am here.)

Next Steps

You've just unlocked the engine of the Swedish language. With these three verbs, you can survive and thrive in basic conversations. Keep practicing, and don't be afraid to make mistakes—that is how you grow!

Look around your room and name 5 things you have using 'Jag har...'

Write 3 sentences about what you are doing right now using 'Jag gör...'

Continue to: Personal Pronouns

Práctica rápida (10)

Fill in the correct form of 'vara'.

Jag ___ glad.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: är
The present tense of 'vara' is 'är'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vara (To be)

Choose the correct form.

___ du en hund?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Har
Question starts with verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ha (To have)

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Är du trött?
Questions require subject-verb inversion.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vara (To be)

Fill in the blank.

Jag ___ läxor.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: gör
Present tense.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Göra (To do)

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Du harer en bok.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Du har en bok.
No conjugation.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ha (To have)

Fill in the blank.

Jag ___ en bil.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: har
Present tense is 'har'.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Ha (To have)

Choose the correct form.

Vad ___ du igår?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: gjorde
Past tense.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Göra (To do)

Fix the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Jag inte är trött.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag är inte trött.
'Inte' goes after the verb.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Vara (To be)

Fix the mistake.

Find and fix the mistake:

Jag är äter.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag äter.
No 'am' in Swedish.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Basic Verb Usage

Choose the correct sentence.

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Jag äter.
Standard conjugation.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Basic Verb Usage

Score: /10

Preguntas frecuentes (6)

Only in other tenses (like past 'var' or supine 'varit'). In the present, it is always 'är'.
Swedish simplified its verb system centuries ago, losing person-based endings.
No, it is always 'har' in the present tense.
Just add 'inte' after 'har'.
No, it is irregular.
Jag gjorde.
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