SWE ISO 639-3
Swedish
Svenska Autonym
A language of Sweden
- ISO 639
- swe
- Alternate Names
- Ruotsi
- Autonym
- Svenska
- Population
- 9,400,000 in Sweden (European Commission 2012). Total users in all countries: 13,074,200 (as L1: 9,924,200; as L2: 3,150,000).
- Location:
- Widespread.
- Language Status
- 1 (National). Statutory national language (2009, Language Act. No. 600, Articles 4,5,6).
- Classification
- Indo-European, Germanic, North, East Scandinavian, Danish-Swedish, Swedish
- Dialects
- Dalecarlian, Eastern Swedish (Estonian Swedish, Finland Swedish), Gutniska (Gotlandic, Gutamal, Gutnic), Northern Swedish (Norrland), Southern Swedish (Scanian, Skåne, Skånska), Svea, Jamska. Standard Swedish considered spoken in Svealand. Dialect investigation needed in Gutniska, Överkalixmål, Närpes, Pitemål, provinces around the Bothnic Sea (Norbotten in Sweden and Österbotten in Finland), and the island of Gotland. Gutniska descended from Forngutniska (Old Gotlandic). Dalecarlian spoken in northern Dalarna Province by about 10,000 speakers. Many would actually consider this variety a language in its own right, with its own literary standard and features that are markedly different from standard Swedish. Övdalian [ovd] is considered the most archaic vernacular within Dalecarlian, preserving many features of Old Norse.
- Typology
- SVO; prepositions; noun head final; gender (common, neuter); definite and indefinite articles; passives (active, middle, passive); comparatives; 19 consonant and 17 vowel phonemes; tonal (2 tones).
- Language Use
- Most also use English [eng] (European Commission 2006). Some also use French [fra] (European Commission 2006). Some also use Standard German [deu] (European Commission 2006).
- Language Development
- Fully developed. Bible: 1541–1999.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Swedish
- Writing
- Braille script [Brai], used since 1917. Latin script [Latn], primary usage.
Also Spoken in
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Austria
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
2,680 in Austria (2003 UNSD).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Australia
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
8,960 in Australia (2016 census).
- Location
- Widespread.
- Dialects
- Åland Islands Swedish.
- Language Status
- 1 (National)
- Other Comments
- Christian. View other languages of Aland Islands
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
26,200 in Aland Islands (2013).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Canada
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
6,840 in Canada (2016 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Switzerland
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
9,230 in Switzerland (2012 UNSD).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Germany
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
22,500 in Germany (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Denmark
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
754,400 in Denmark, all users. L1 users: 14,400 in Denmark (2020 census). , based on nationality. L2 users: 740,000 (European Commission 2012).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Spain
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
19,900 in Spain (2020 census). , based on nationality.
- Location
- Kymenlaakso, Ostrobothnia, and Southwest Finland regions.
- Dialects
- Standard Swedish, Österbotten (Ostrobothnian), Southwest Finland Swedish, Uusimaa Swedish (Nyland Swedish).
- Language Status
- 1 (National)
- Other Comments
- Swedish Finns have distinctive pronunciation compared to the dialect in Sweden, but no apparent difficulty in intelligibility. Some Österbotten dialects are intelligible to others with difficulty. View other languages of Finland
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
2,698,000 in Finland, all users. L1 users: 288,000 in Finland (2018 census). L2 users: 2,410,000 (European Commission 2012).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United Kingdom
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
19,200 in United Kingdom (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Luxembourg
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
1,260 in Luxembourg (2011 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Norway
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
39,000 in Norway (2021 census). , based on nationality.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of New Zealand
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
2,640 in New Zealand (2013 census).
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of Russian Federation
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
7,400 in Russian Federation (2012 UNSD).
- Location
- Scattered.
- Language Status
- Unestablished
- Other Comments
- Non-indigenous. View other languages of United States
Language Name
Swedish
User Population
55,700 in United States (2015 census). Ethnic population: 5,330,000 (2000 census).
Map
Location: Widespread.
Size and Vitality
Click to enlarge with explanationPlace in Language Cloud
Click to enlarge with explanation