Everyone said the same thing before I moved: “Don’t worry, everyone in Sweden speaks English!” And they’re right. Which is exactly why learning Swedish is so weirdly difficult — there’s almost no pressure forcing you to practice.
My Swedish stayed at hej and tack for an embarrassingly long time. It wasn’t until I started intentionally putting myself in situations where English felt awkward — ordering food, asking for directions, chatting with neighbors — that things slowly started to click.
The hardest part isn’t the grammar or the vocabulary. It’s the confidence to sound ridiculous in front of people. Swedes are polite, they’ll switch to English the moment they sense you’re struggling, which is kind but not always helpful when you’re trying to learn.
What worked for me: speaking Swedish first, every time, and only letting them switch if I was truly lost. It’s uncomfortable. It’s also the only way it actually works.