ENGLISH
REFERENCE

swedish

n. uncountable
A1 Beginner US //ˈswidɪʃ// swedish

n. the language that people speak in Sweden. It is also used to describe people who come from that country.

n. the North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and parts of Finland. When referring to the language, it is treated as a singular entity.


SIMPLE

I am learning Swedish because I want to move to Stockholm.

CONTEXTUAL

Most people in the capital speak excellent English, but learning basic Swedish helps you integrate into the local community.

COMPLEX

While many technical terms in Swedish are borrowed from German or English, the core vocabulary remains distinctively Scandinavian and shares many similarities with Norwegian and Danish.

Origin

From Swede + -ish. Cognate with Dutch Zweeds, German Schwedisch.

Usage

Always capitalized. When referring to the language, it is uncountable; when referring to the people, it is used as a collective plural ('the Swedish').

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