och
And
'Och' means 'and'. It's used to connect things.
How It Works
The word och is one of the most fundamental words in Swedish. It functions as a coordinating conjunction, which means it connects words, phrases, or clauses that are grammatically equal.
You can use och to connect:
- Nouns: en penna och ett papper (a pen and a sheet of paper)
- Adjectives: Han är snäll och rolig (He is kind and funny)
- Verbs: Vi äter och dricker (We eat and drink)
- Main clauses: Jag jobbar i Stockholm, och min syster bor i Göteborg. (I work in Stockholm, and my sister lives in Gothenburg)
When och connects two main clauses, the second clause retains its own main-clause word order. It can begin with its subject or another constituent: Jag arbetar här och i morgon börjar min syster också. Och itself does not occupy the clause’s first constituent position.
Context And ContrastJag är trött och jag vill inte sova is grammatical: it combines the two statements. Jag är trött men jag vill inte sova explicitly marks their contrast. Men is useful for highlighting a defeated expectation; the same facts are not forbidden with och.
Och can also suggest a sequence: Hon öppnade dörren och gick in. In a simple list, commas separate the earlier items and och introduces the final one: socker, mjöl och ägg. Learn whole verb combinations such as sitta och läsa separately; there och connects parts of one described activity.
Examples (5)
- Jag äter ett äpple och en banan.
I am eating an apple and a banana.
Word by Word: I eat an apple and a banana.
- Bilen är snabb och röd.
The car is fast and red.
Word by Word: The car is fast and red.
- Han läser och skriver varje dag.
He reads and writes every day.
Word by Word: He reads and writes every day.
- Solen skiner och fåglarna sjunger.
The sun is shining and the birds are singing.
Word by Word: The sun shines and the birds sing.
- Vi behöver socker, mjöl och ägg.
We need sugar, flour, and eggs.
Word by Word: We need sugar, flour and eggs.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- menBut
'Men' (but) is also a coordinating conjunction, but it's used to show contrast, while 'och' is used for addition.
Level 1 - ellerOr
'Eller' (or) is another coordinating conjunction used to present choices or alternatives, unlike 'och' which combines items.
Level 1 - både...ochBoth...and
'Både...och' (both...and) is a structure that emphasizes that both items are included. It's a stronger way of connecting two things than just using 'och'.
Level 2 - Word order basics
Each clause coordinated by och follows its own clause pattern. In
FoundationsJag stannar hemma och i morgon reser jag, the second clause starts with i morgon, then finite reser; och does not force subject-first order.
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice och in Bubblegum
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