Minipodd: How to Say “Put” in Swedish/A2

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Välkommen till min minipodd för dig som lär dig svenska, både för dig som är språkelev i utlandet och för dig som studerar svenska i Sverige.

This minipodd is about placement verbs in Swedish.  

How do you say the word "put" in Swedish?

Maybe you tried to translate the word “put” and got confused.

The word put is more complicated in Swedish than in English and has a literal meaning. 

It is in a sense specific according to the task. 

Words like "ställa", "sätta", sometimes the word "lägga" , and maybe also "hänga" can  all be translated to "put" in English. 

“Sätta”, “ställa” och “lägga” can be called placement words and there is some confusion among swedes how to use them and some debate over which one is correct in different situations. 

They are also often linked to a particle to form a particle verb. 

We can begin with the word  "ställa". I recommend getting a firm understanding of this word first. It goes a long way to describe the action "put". 

Here are some examples. 

"Ställ glaset på bordet." ‘Put the glass on the table’/which means to place the glass on the table in a standing position. 

In this case you have the option to say, "ställ ner glaset på bordet" with a particle verb. Remember to pronounce the particle, "ställ NER". 

You can also say "sätt glaset på bordet", which means "put the glass on the table/set the glass on the table, but "lägg glaset" is incorrect because a glass is not laying down. 

Let’s continue with setting the table. Next we can put a plate on the table. ‘Put the plate on the table’. "Lägg tallriken på bordet.” Because the plate lays down on the table. It doesn’t stand on the table. 

Again, same as for the glass, you can also say “sätt tallriken på bordet." eller “sätt ner tallriken på bordet.”  

Same thing with the fork. “Lägg gaffeln på bordet”.

What about a book on the book shelf? It depends on how you put the book down. Is it laying down or standing up? “Ställ boken i bokhyllan” eller "Lägg ner boken i bokhyllan.” 

And in the case of putting the jacket on the hanger. “Häng jackan på hängaren.” 

Here are some other examples: 

‘Put the milk in the refrigerator’. “Ställ mjölken i kylskåpet.” Eller, “sätt mjölken i kylskåpet.” 

‘Put the shoes in the corner.’ “Ställ skorna i hörnet.” Här kan man också säga “lägg skorna”. Det spelar ingen roll. 

‘Put the shoes in the box’. “Lägg skorna i kartongen.” 

‘Put the socks in the drawers’. “Lägg strumporna i lådorna.” 

‘Put away the towel’. “Lägg undan handduken.” 

‘Put the charger in the cell phone’. “Sätt laddaren i mobilen."

‘Put the mat on the floor and put the table on the mat.’ “Lägg mattan på golvet och ställ bordet ovanpå mattan.”

“Put a limit to how much you want to spend.” “Sätt en gräns för hur mycket du vill spendera."

Good luck with your Swedish. If you have any questions, I’m available on Italki.One-on-one lessons with a teacher is such a great way to improve your Swedish.

Thank you for listening. See you again soon!!