ändå

Still/anyway

Level 3

Ändå means 'still' or 'anyway' and shows that something happens despite a contrasting fact.

How It Works

Ändå is a versatile adverb that expresses contrast or that something persists despite an obstacle or opposing reason. It's a very common word in both spoken and written Swedish.

There are two primary uses:

1. 'Anyway' / 'Nevertheless'
This is the most common meaning. It's used when an action is taken despite a reason not to. It often appears in a clause introduced by the conjunction men (but).

  • Jag var trött, men jag gick till gymmet ändå. (I was tired, but I went to the gym anyway.)
  • Hon visste att det var en dålig idé, men hon gjorde det ändå. (She knew it was a bad idea, but she did it anyway.)

2. 'Still' / 'Yet'
This usage expresses a contrasting opinion or fact, often one that is surprising given the context.

  • Filmen fick dåliga recensioner. Ändå vill jag se den. (The movie got bad reviews. Still, I want to see it.)

Word Order
As an adverb, the placement of ändå is important and follows standard Swedish word order rules.

  • In a main clause, it typically comes after the finite verb: Vi gick ändå. (We went anyway.)
  • When placed at the beginning of a sentence for emphasis, it triggers the verb-second rule, meaning the verb must come immediately after it: Ändå gick vi. (Still, we went.)

Different Meanings Of Still
For a situation continuing over time, fortfarande is the usual choice: Hon bor fortfarande här. Ändå instead emphasizes despite that in Hon bor ändå här. It also intensifies a comparison: ändå bättre means still better.

Examples (5)

  1. Det regnade, men vi gick ut ändå.

    It was raining, but we went out anyway.

    Word by Word: It rained, but we went out anyway.

  2. Jag är inte hungrig, men jag äter ändå.

    I'm not hungry, but I'll eat anyway.

    Word by Word: I am not hungry, but I eat anyway.

  3. Han studerade inte mycket, men han klarade provet ändå.

    He didn't study much, but he passed the test anyway.

    Word by Word: He studied not much, but he passed the test anyway.

  4. Ändå är jag glad att jag kom.

    Still, I'm glad I came.

    Word by Word: Still am I glad that I came.

    When 'ändå' starts a sentence, the verb comes next. This is an example of the V2 inversion rule.

  5. Tack för inbjudan! Jag kan tyvärr inte komma, men tack ändå!

    Thanks for the invitation! Unfortunately I can't come, but thanks anyway!

    Word by Word: Thanks for invitation! I can unfortunately not come, but thanks anyway!

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'ändå' as a conjunction like 'men' (but).

    Jag var trött, ändå jag gick till jobbet.
    Jag var trött, men jag gick till jobbet ändå.

    Ändå does not behave like coordinating men here. In an integrated clause beginning with ändå, put the finite verb next: Jag var trött; ändå gick jag till jobbet. You can also use men jag gick till jobbet ändå. The issue is word order and connection, not an absolute ban on comma-separated Swedish clauses.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

ändåLevel 3Still/anyway

Learn This First

To use 'ändå' correctly, you need to understand how adverbs affect Swedish word order (V2 rule) and how to express basic contrast. It is also important to distinguish it from other temporal adverbs like 'fortfarande'.

Words in This Pattern

ändå