Master Swedish Numbers
Swedish numbers follow a clean decimal pattern, but "one" comes in two forms — en (common gender) and ett (neuter gender) — depending on the noun. Like other Germanic languages, compound numbers state the unit before the ten: tjugofyra ("twenty-four") is literally "twenty-four." Eleven (elva) and twelve (tolv) are irregular, while 13–19 follow a regular pattern with the suffix -ton.
Watch the videos below, then download the Foreign Numbers app and practice what you've learned!
Swedish Phone Numbers
How phone numbers work in Sweden & how locals say them
| Numeral | Cardinal | Ordinal |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | noll | |
| 1 | en (common) ett (neuter) | första |
| 2 | två | andra |
| 3 | tre | tredje |
| 4 | fyra | fjärde |
| 5 | fem | femte |
| 6 | sex | sjätte |
| 7 | sju | sjunde |
| 8 | åtta | åttonde |
| 9 | nio | nionde |
| 10 | tio | tionde |
| 11 | elva | elfte |
| 12 | tolv | tolfte |
| 13 | tretton | trettonde |
| 14 | fjorton | fjortonde |
| 15 | femton | femtonde |
| 16 | sexton | sextonde |
| 17 | sjutton | sjuttonde |
| 18 | arton | artonde |
| 19 | nitton | nittonde |
| 20 | tjugo | tjugonde |
| 21 | tjugoett | tjugoförsta |
| 22 | tjugotvå | tjugoandra |
| 23 | tjugotre | tjugotredje |
| 24 | tjugofyra | tjugofjärde |
| 25 | tjugofem | tjugofemte |
| 26 | tjugosex | tjugosjätte |
| 27 | tjugosju | tjugosjuonde |
| 28 | tjugoåtta | tjugoåttonde |
| 29 | tjugonio | tjugonionde |
| 30 | trettio | trettionde |
| 40 | fyrtio | fyrtionde |
| 50 | femtio | femtionde |
| 60 | sextio | sextionde |
| 70 | sjuttio | sjuttionde |
| 80 | åttio | åttionde |
| 90 | nittio | nittionde |
| 100 | hundra | hundrade |
| 200 | två hundra | |
| 300 | tre hundra | |
| 1,000 | ett tusen | tusende |
| 2,000 | två tusen | |
| 3,000 | tre tusen | |
| 1 million | en miljon | |
| 1 billion | en miljard | |
| 1 trillion | en biljon |
Number data and information courtesy of Omniglot.
What Makes Swedish Numbers Challenging
The two-gender system for 'one' (en/ett) requires knowing noun genders. The pronunciation of sju (7) uses a uniquely Swedish 'sj' sound that does not exist in most other languages and is notoriously difficult for non-natives. Eleven (elva) and twelve (tolv) are irregular. Swedish compound numbers are written as single words (tjugofyra = 24), which can look intimidating. The similarity between sex (6) and sju (7) — both short words starting with 's' — causes frequent confusion.
Tips for Learning Swedish Numbers
Swedish numbers are very regular after 12 — focus on memorizing 1-12 and the tens, then the compound pattern handles everything else. Practice the 'sj' sound in sju (7) — it is one of the most distinctive sounds in Swedish. For the en/ett distinction, learn common noun genders gradually. Swedish numbers are nearly identical to Norwegian, so learning one language's numbers gives you a head start on the other. Prices in kronor (SEK) make excellent everyday practice.
Practice Swedish Numbers
Reading about numbers is one thing — understanding them spoken at natural speed is another. Test your Swedish number skills with our free listening game.
Play the Number Game