vill
Want to
In the vill + verb pattern, vill means want to and takes an infinitive: Jag vill äta. It also allows other complements, such as vill att du kommer and vill hem.
How It Works
The verb vill is one of the most common modal verbs in Swedish. It's used to express a wish, desire, or want.
Key Characteristics:
- Meaning: 'want to' or 'will' (in the sense of volition, not future tense).
- Verb Form: In the vill + verb pattern, the following main verb has its infinitive (base) form. Before this infinitive, you do not use the infinitive marker att after it.
- Conjugation: It has a simple conjugation pattern.
- Present: vill (for all subjects: jag, du, han, hon, den, det, vi, ni, de)
- Past (Preterite): ville
- Supine (for perfect tenses): velat
Usage Examples:
Present: Jag vill dricka kaffe. (I want to drink coffee.)
Past: Hon ville inte komma. (She didn't want to come.)
Perfect: Vi har alltid velat besöka Sverige. (We have always wanted to visit Sweden.)
In a yes/no question, the finite verb comes first: Vill du resa? In a question beginning with a question word, it follows that phrase: Vart vill du resa? In a subject-first main clause, place inte directly after vill.
Wanting A Whole Situation
Vill can also take a full att-clause: Jag vill att du kommer. Here du is the subject and kommer is finite; att is a clause introducer, not an infinitive marker. You can also say Jag vill hem or answer Ja, det vill jag when the action is understood.
Negative Word Order
Compare Jag vill inte resa, I dag vill jag inte resa and eftersom jag inte vill resa. Inte is not always directly after vill.
Examples (5)
- Jag vill resa till Japan nästa år.
I want to travel to Japan next year.
Word by Word: I want travel to Japan next year.
- Vill du ha en kopp kaffe?
Do you want a cup of coffee?
Word by Word: Want you have a cup coffee?
- Barnen vill inte gå och lägga sig.
The children don't want to go to bed.
Word by Word: The children want not go and lay themselves.
- Hon ville bli läkare när hon var liten.
She wanted to become a doctor when she was little.
Word by Word: She wanted become doctor when she was little.
- Vi har alltid velat lära oss spela gitarr.
We have always wanted to learn to play the guitar.
Word by Word: We have always wanted learn us play guitar.
Common Mistakes
Adding The Infinitive Marker Att Before Läsa
Jag vill att läsa den boken.Jag vill läsa den boken.Write vill läsa without the infinitive marker. The different construction vill att du läser has a full clause and does require the clause introducer att.
Incorrectly conjugating 'vill' in the present tense.
Han villar köpa en ny bil.Han vill köpa en ny bil.Like other modal verbs, 'vill' does not take an '-r' or '-ar' ending in the present tense. It stays as 'vill' for all subjects (jag, du, han, hon, vi, ni, de).
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'vill' (want to), you need to understand how basic verbs work in Swedish and how they fit into a sentence. Since 'vill' is a modal verb that is followed by another verb in its infinitive form, familiarity with verb forms and standard word order is essential.
Related Patterns
- kanCan/be Able to
Like 'vill', 'kan' (can/be able to) is a modal verb. Both are followed by an infinitive verb without 'att'. They express ability versus desire.
Level 2 - måsteMust/have to
'Måste' (must/have to) is another modal verb that follows the same grammatical rule: no 'att' before the next verb. It expresses necessity, which often contrasts with what one 'vill' (wants) to do.
Level 2 - ska/skallWill/shall
'Ska' (will/shall) expresses intention or future plans. It's also a modal verb and follows the same structure as 'vill'. What you 'ska' do is often related to what you 'vill' do.
Level 2 - inteNot
Inte follows vill in the basic Jag vill inte pattern, but compare I dag vill jag inte and eftersom jag inte vill. Its placement follows the clause structure.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice vill in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Swedish lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
