Capitalization Rules in Swedish: A Guide for English Speakers
Understanding Basic Capitalization in Swedish
While English often capitalizes nouns liberally, Swedish has more constrained rules. Knowing these differences is crucial for learners.
Capitalization of Sentences
Just like in English, the first word of a sentence in Swedish is always capitalized.
Hej! Mitt namn är Anna.
Hello! My name is Anna.
Proper Nouns
Proper nouns, including names and specific places, are capitalized in Swedish. This includes brands, cities, and personal names.
Stockholm är huvudstaden i Sverige.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden.
Days and Months
Unlike English, Swedish does not capitalize the names of days of the week or months of the year.
Hon föddes i juni.
She was born in June.
Det är måndag idag.
It's Monday today.
Geographical Terms
Certain geographical terms may be capitalized, similar to English, especially when part of a proper noun.
Vänern sjö
Lake Vänern
Hon talar engelska och svenska.
She speaks English and Swedish.
Titles and Headings
Swedish retains lowercase letters in titles and headings except for the initial letter and any proper nouns.
Borta med vinden
Gone with the Wind
Further Reading
- Mastering Swedish Capitalization
An in-depth guide to capitalization in Swedish.
- Swedish Grammar Essentials
Explore Swedish grammar, including capitalization rules.
- Common Mistakes in Learning Swedish
Learn about common errors, including those related to capitalization.