Intensifiers
In Swedish, it’s common to use the following prefixes to intensify a statement: jätte-, giant, skit-, shit, ur-, origin. Amplifying words are mostly constructed by hooking a noun to the beginning of an adjective or an adverb.
Examples:
Det är jättebra.
It is very good.
Han hoppade jättehögt.
He jumped very high.
jätte- | jättebra | very good |
skit- | skitbra | very good |
ur- | urbra | very good |
as- | asbra | very good |
toppen- | toppenbra | very good |
It is common to get creative with vulgar and naughty nouns. skit and as have become normalized.
You could also use normal adverbs to amplify an adjective. Common ones are mycket, very, verkligen, really, väldigt, hugely, himla, very.
Examples:
Det är väldigt bra.
It is very good.
Han hoppade väldigt högt.
He jumped very high.
Examples from the audio lesson:
Maten är mycket god.
The food is very good..
Filmen är verkligen tråkig.
The movie is really boring.
Jag är väldigt trött.
I am really tired.
Musiken är så himla bra.
The music is very good.
It is common to put a så in front of himla to emphasize and intensify further.
mycket | mycket bra | very good |
verkligen | verkligen bra | very good |
väldigt | väldigt bra | very good |
himla | himla bra | very good |
(d)jävla | (d)jävla bra | very good |
riktigt | riktigt bra | very good |
hemskt | hemskt bra | very good |
fruktansvärt | fruktansvärt bra | very good |
Discussion
To agree
Jag håller med. | I agree. |
Du har rätt. | You are right. |
Det är sant. | That is true. |
Ja | Yes |
Absolut | Absolutely |
Just det | That is right. |
Exakt | Exactly |
Precis | Precisely |
Jag håller inte med. | I don’t agree. |
Det tycker jag inte (alls). | I don’t think that (at all). |
Inte alls | Not at all |
Hesitation
Nja | Well… |
Kanske | Maybe |
Jag vet inte (riktigt). | I don’t (really) know. |