LESSON TRANSCRIPT

Absolute Beginner S1 #2
Introducing Yourself with
Common Swedish Verbs

CONTENTS
2 INTRODUCTION
2 LESSON CONVERSATION
3 POST CONVERSATION BANTER
4 VOCAB LIST
5 KEY VOCABULARY AND PHRASES
6 LESSON FOCUS

# 2
COPYRIGHT © 2013 INNOVATIVE LANGUAGE LEARNING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
INTRODUCTION

Jasmine: Hej och god morgon. My name is Jasmine.

Morten: Hej, allihopa and good morning. This is Morten. Välkomna! Welcome to
SwedishPod101.com Absolute Beginner Season 1, Lesson 2 - Introducing Yourself
with Common Swedish Verbs. And again, I'm here with Jasmine.
Jasmine: Yes and we have some exciting new stuff to learn in this lesson.
Morten: Indeed. Now we will look at common verbs and introductions and how to ask
people where they're from and where they live.
Jasmine: This conversation takes place at a party for international and Swedish
students.
Morten: Our main characters are once again James and Anders.
Jasmine: The party is attended by lots of people, mostly students. It's a pretty informal
setting. Let's listen to the conversation.

LESSON CONVERSATION

(Informal)
Anders: Hej, James, hur är det?
James: Bra, tack.
Anders: James, varifrån kommer du?
James: Jag kommer från England. Och varifrån i Sverige kommer du?
Anders: Jag kommer från Linköping. Var i Göteborg bor du?
James: Jag bor i Kallebäck och du?
Anders: Jag bor i stan, nära till universitetet. Jag bor i en tvåa med min tjej. Hur bor du?
James: Jag bor på hotell just nu. Ursäkta, Anders, men jag måste till bussen nu.
Anders: Okej, vi ses, hejdå.
James: Vi ses.
Morten: And now, the slow version.
Jasmine: Och nu den sakta versionen.
(Informal)
Anders: Hej, James, hur är det?
James: Bra, tack.
Anders: James, varifrån kommer du?
James: Jag kommer från England. Och varifrån i Sverige kommer du?
Anders: Jag kommer från Linköping. Var i Göteborg bor

S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 2
du?
James: Jag bor i Kallebäck och du?
Anders: Jag bor i stan, nära till universitetet. Jag bor i en tvåa med min tjej. Hur bor du?
James: Jag bor på hotell just nu. Ursäkta, Anders, men jag måste till bussen nu.
Anders: Okej, vi ses, hejdå.
James: Vi ses.
Morten: And now with the English translation.
Jasmine: Och nu med den engelska översättningen.
(Informal)
Anders: Hej, James, hur är det?
Morten: Hi James, how are you?
James: Bra, tack.
Morten: Fine, thanks.
Anders: James, varifrån kommer du?
Morten: James, where are you from?
James: Jag kommer från England. Och varifrån i Sverige kommer du?
Morten: I am from England. And where in Sweden are you from?
Anders: Jag kommer från Linköping. Var i Göteborg bor du?
Morten: I am from Linköping. Where in Gothenburg do you live?
James: Jag bor i Kallebäck och du?
Morten: I live in Kallebäck. How about you?
Anders: Jag bor i stan, nära till universitetet. Jag bor i en tvåa med min tjej. Hur bor du?
Morten: I live in town, close to the university. I live in a two-bedroom flat with my
girlfriend. And where do you live?
James: Jag bor på hotell just nu. Ursäkta, Anders, men jag måste till bussen nu.
Morten: I live in a hotel for now. I am sorry, Anders, but I have to catch the bus now.
Anders: Okej, vi ses, hejdå.
Morten: OK, see you, bye.
James: Vi ses.
Morten: See you.

POST CONVERSATION BANTER

Morten: So this is a typical party situation?

Jasmine: Yes, that's right.
Morten: Are there any special gestures people in Sweden use when they

S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 3
meet?
Jasmine: Yes, there are a few. Shaking hands is still big in Sweden.
Morten: Are handshakes a traditional gesture?
Jasmine: Just det, that's right. Handshakes are more traditional, but still used a lot not
only when meeting for the first time.
Morten: Interesting. So a handshake is always appropriate?
Jasmine: You could say that.
Morten: And are there any other gestures of greeting?
Jasmine: Well, we usually hug. But sometimes you see a kiss on the cheek, a nod or
simply a raised hand.
Morten: How do I know which gestures to use?
Jasmine: Well, I suggest you go with the flow. Watch what people are doing where you
are and behave just like them.
Morten: Watch, learn and imitate. Is that what you're saying?
Jasmine: Exactly. It's always okay to shake hands, but why not check out what other
people around you are doing?
Morten: Excellent, thank you. Tack.

VOCAB LIST

Morten: Now, you know how to behave at a casual and social occasion in Sweden,
let's move on to the vocabulary. First we have?
Jasmine: Ursäkta [natural native speed]
Morten: I'm sorry.
Jasmine: Ursäkta [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Ursäkta [natural native speed]
Morten: And next.
Jasmine: Jag kommer från... [natural native speed]
Morten: I am from...
Jasmine: Jag kommer från... [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Jag kommer från...
[natural native speed]
Morten: And next we have.
Jasmine: Kommer (komma) [natural native speed]
Morten: To come.
Jasmine: Kommer (komma) [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Kommer (komma)
[natural native speed]
Morten: And

S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 4
next.
Jasmine: Bor (bo) [natural native speed]
Morten: To live.
Jasmine: Bor (bo) [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Bor (bo) [natural native speed]
Morten: Next we have.
Jasmine: Varifrån kommer du? [natural native speed]
Morten: Where are you from?
Jasmine: Varifrån kommer du? [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Varifrån kommer
du? [natural native speed]
Morten: And next.
Jasmine: Var bor du? [natural native speed]
Morten: Where do you live?
Jasmine: Var bor du? [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Var bor du? [natural native
speed]
Morten: And next, we have.
Jasmine: Jag bor i... [natural native speed]
Morten: I live in...
Jasmine: Jag bor i... [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Jag bor i... [natural native
speed]
Morten: Next, we have.
Jasmine: Hur bor du? [natural native speed]
Morten: How do you live?
Jasmine: Hur bor du? [slowly - broken down by syllable].Hur bor du? [natural native
speed]
Morten: And finally we have.
Jasmine: Och du? [natural native speed]
Morten: And you?
Jasmine: Och du? [slowly - broken down by syllable]. Och du? [natural native speed]

KEY VOCABULARY AND PHRASES

Morten: Let's have a closer look at the vocabulary and phrases from this lesson. For
this lesson, we have picked very frequent phrases, ones that you will come across all
the time in Sweden.
Jasmine: That's right. First up, we'll take some phrases from the dialogue for where
you are from and where you

S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 5
live.
Morten: Then we'll at two very short but very useful phrases. So let's get started.
Jasmine: Here's how to ask where someone is from, Varifrån kommer du?
Morten: And that literally means, where are from, right?
Jasmine: Yes, it does.
Morten: And then you respond with?
Jasmine: Jag kommer från Stockholm or Jag kommer från England.
Morten: So this is the phrase used when asking for people's origins, isn't that right.
Jasmine: Just det, exactly.
Morten: But how can I ask where someone lives now?
Jasmine: Var bor du? where do you live?
Morten: In the dialogue we used a slightly differently phrase, we didn't we?
Jasmine: Ja, just det. That phrase was Hur bor du? How do you live?
Morten: That's asking about the type of accommodation, right?
Jasmine: Yes, this phrase is perhaps slightly less common.
Morten: I know that Swedes love to talk about their homes.
Jasmine: Yes. And in that context the phrase does play an important part.
Morten: So the reply would be something like Jag bor i en lägenhet or Jag bor i stan.
Jasmine: Ja, just det. I live in a flat. I live in town.
Morten: Okay, next up.
Jasmine: A little add on Och du?
Morten: As in Jag bor i stan, och du?
Jasmine: Just det. I live in town. How about you?
Morten: This och du can added to just about any statement can't it?
Jasmine: Yes, it's a small but powerful phrase.
Morten: Brilliant and finally we have one way to say sorry in Swedish.
Jasmine: Yes, it's what you would use when squeezing pass people on the bus.
Morten: It's not a big apology. It's more like the word sorry in English.
Jasmine: Exactly, but as in our dialogue, you can also use it when apologizing for
having to leave or something like that.
Morten: Ursäkta men jag måste gå nu. Sorry I have to leave now.
Jasmine: That's one example.
Morten: But would you encourage our listeners to use it freely?
Jasmine: By all means. It's a very good word to use and will help you blend in.
Morten: Thanks so much for the tips, tack. Okay, let's move on to the grammar
section.

LESSON FOCUS
S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 6
Morten: In this lesson focus, we're going to look at some more verbs in the present
tense.
Jasmine: One important point here is that Swedish does not change verb form
according to person or number, I, we, you, he, she, it, they, the same verb works for all.
Morten: You remember that from last lesson, don't you?
Jasmine: Exactly. Swedish verbs don't even have a special third person singular form
the way English does.
Morten: Could you show us how verb doesn't change?
Jasmine: Jag kommer, du kommer, han kommer, hon kommer, vi kommer.
Morten: Fascinating. And this is true for auxiliary verbs as well isn't it?
Jasmine: Yes, the Swedish verbs for to be and to have, have only one form a piece.
Morten: We saw är here on our dialogue. That's the verb är or to be in English right?
Jasmine: Exactly. Just memorize and off you go using this very common verb.
Morten: And we have two more verbs to introduce in this lesson.
Jasmine: Right. They are bor
Morten: To live.
Jasmine: och kommer
Morten: To come. kommer behaves just like heter in lesson 1.
Jasmine: The infinitive has an A at the end. Replace it with ER and we get kommer.
Morten: So here is a sample sentence.
Jasmine: Jag kommer från Australien.
Morten: I am from Australia. Listeners, please repeat the sentence.
Jasmine: Jag kommer från Australien [pause].
Morten: Excellent, thank you. Next, please say you're from London.
Jasmine: Listen and repeat after me, Jag kommer från London [pause]
Morten: That's right, Jag kommer från London. And I can use this for whatever place I
come from, right?
Jasmine: Exactly.
Morten: And the pronunciation is still easy, just a stress from the first syllable and
that's it.
Jasmine: Yes, kom-mer, an initial stress and then it flattens out.
Morten: So there are irregular verbs like är, normal ones like heter and kommer.
Jasmine: And we have some short ones that just add an R to their infinitive to make
the present tense.
Morten: Like the Swedish for, to live.
Jasmine: Jag bor i

S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 7
Sverige.
Morten: I live in Sweden. Listeners, please listen and repeat.
Jasmine: Jag bor i England.
Morten: Very good. I live in England. And how do you ask again how someone lives?
Jasmine: Here's a clue. How is hur in Swedish.
Morten: Okay, so what's the answer Jasmine?
Jasmine: Hur bor du?
Morten: How do you live? So let's repeat a bit. Where do you live was?
Jasmine: Var bor du?
Morten: And how do you live was?
Jasmine: Hur bor du? excellent.
Morten: Let's do some more recap. You want to say you live in Sweden [pause].
Jasmine: Jag bor i Sverige, that's right.
Morten: Or you want to ask where someone lives? [pause].
Jasmine: Var bor du?
Morten: Tremendous effort, everyone.
Jasmine: Want a free way to build your Swedish vocabulary?
Morten: Follow our Swedish word of the day at SwedishPod101.com.
Jasmine: See and hear the word of the day.
Morten: Plus sample phrases and sentences.
Jasmine: Get this daily vocabulary alerts on Facebook, Twitter and the
SwedishPod101.com blog.
Morten: And add this widget to your own website or blog. They're available in 35
languages.
Jasmine: Get these easy instructions at SwedishPod101.com/Swedish-phrases.
Morten: Thank you very much, tack, tack.
Jasmine: Tack så mycket

S WEDI S HPOD101.COM ABS OLUT E BEGI NNER S 1 #2 - I NT RODUCI NG YOURS ELF WI T H COMMON S WEDI S H VERBS 8