Likes and preferences
Use 'tycker om' or 'gillar' followed by a noun to say you like something. For example, 'Jag gillar kaffe' (I like coffee).
How It Works
Expressing what you like in Swedish is straightforward. Here are the key verbs and how to use them:
1. Tycker om & Gillar (to like)
These two often have the same meaning when expressing liking. The basic structure is:
- Subject + tycker om / gillar + Noun
Jag tycker om svensk mat. (I like Swedish food.)
Han gillar filmer. (He likes movies.)
2. Liking Activities
When you like to do something (an activity), you add 'att' before the second verb:
- Subject + tycker om / gillar + att + Verb (infinitive)
De gillar att simma. (They like to swim.)
Hon tycker om att måla. (She likes to paint.)
3. Älskar (to love)
For a stronger emotion, use 'älskar'. It follows the same patterns:
- Subject + älskar + Noun
- Subject + älskar + att + Verb (infinitive)
Jag älskar min familj. (I love my family.)
Vi älskar att resa. (We love to travel.)
Om belongs to the expression tycka om. With neutral main-clause negation, it stays with the verb phrase after inte: Jag tycker inte om kaffe. In a question, finite tycker moves before the subject: Tycker du om kaffe?. These formulas use present forms; past forms include tyckte om, gillade and älskade. The verbs can take a person as object too: Jag gillar henne.
Examples (5)
- Jag tycker om kaffe.
I like coffee.
Word by Word: I feel liking for coffee.
- Hon gillar katter.
She likes cats.
Word by Word: She likes cats.
- Vi älskar sommaren.
We love the summer.
Word by Word: We love the summer.
- Han tycker om att laga mat.
He likes to cook.
Word by Word: He feels liking for to prepare food.
- Gillar du att dansa?
Do you like to dance?
Word by Word: Like you to dance?
Common Mistakes
Forgetting 'om' after 'tycker'
Jag tycker glass.Jag tycker om glass.The verb 'tycker' by itself means 'to think' or 'to have an opinion'. To say 'like', you must use the full phrase 'tycker om'.
Forgetting 'att' before a verb
De gillar spela fotboll.De gillar att spela fotboll.In the standard activity pattern taught here, use att plus an infinitive: gillar att spela and tycker om att spela. Att is not needed before a noun: gillar fotboll. A finite att-clause is another construction, for example Jag gillar att du sjunger (I like that you sing).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To express likes and preferences in Swedish, you need to be able to identify yourself or others using pronouns, conjugate verbs in the present tense, and understand how the particle 'om' functions in the phrase 'tycker om'.
- Basic pronouns
To express likes, you need to know basic subject pronouns like 'jag' (I) to form the sentence 'Jag tycker om...'.
Foundations - Basic verb conjugation
Expressing likes involves using verbs like 'gillar' or 'tycker' in their present tense forms.
Foundations - omAbout/if
The common expression 'tycker om' (to like) requires understanding the use of the particle 'om' as part of a phrasal verb.
Level 1
Related Patterns
- attTo (Infinitive Marker)
Crucial for expressing that you like to do something, as in 'Jag gillar att läsa' (I like to read).
Level 1 - inteNot
The next step after learning to express likes is learning to express dislikes, which is done by adding 'inte' (not).
Level 1 - Yes/no question formation
Helps you ask other people about their preferences, like 'Gillar du kaffe?' (Do you like coffee?).
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Likes and preferences in Bubblegum
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