tala
/ˈtɑːˌla/
To speak in Swedish is to say tala. Wiktionary also lists kunna.
Meaning: to be able to communicate in a language (verb)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| tala | /ˈtɑːˌla/ |
| kunna | /²kɵnːa/ |
The verb is used to express the ability to communicate in a language. Related nouns like jargong or fackspråk can be used to refer to specific jargon or terminology.
Which one should you use?
While tala is the standard verb for speaking a language or making a formal speech, the colloquial verb prata is more common for casual conversation or chatting. Another option is babbla, which is a playful and informal way to say speak that connotes chattering or speaking aimlessly.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The present tense of tala is talar. The past tense is talade, and the supine form is talat, which is used with auxiliary verbs such as har (has).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtɑːˌla/
Did you know?
- While tala refers to the act of speaking, the related word tal refers to both a formal speech and a mathematical number.
- Swedish has a specific word talspråk to describe the spoken version of the language, which often differs significantly from the written skriftspråk.
- The Swedish verb tala is a linguistic relative of the English word 'tell', as both stem from an ancient root meaning 'to count' or 'to reckon'.
Examples in context
- Kan du tala högre?Can you speak up?This is useful for asking someone to speak more loudly using tala.Tatoeba #4320848 by richke, translation #2703780 by CM
- Hon kan tala ryska.She can speak Russian.This shows the ability to communicate in a specific language using tala.Tatoeba #8753600 by morbrorper, translation #312440 by CN
- Du ska tala svenska.You will speak Swedish.This is an example of a future requirement to use a language using tala.Tatoeba #880620 by herrsilen, translation #880619 by shekitten
- Jag talar svenskaI speak Swedish
- Vill du prata med mig?Do you want to speak with me?
- Sluta babbla!Stop chattering!
- 297 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Oscar and Alice meet at a language cafe.
- OscarHej! Kan du tala spanska?Hi! Can you speak Spanish?
- AliceJa, jag kan tala spanska lite grann.Yes, I can speak Spanish a little bit.
- OscarVad bra! Jag vill gärna lära mig.That's great! I would really like to learn.
- AliceVi kan tala tillsammans då.We can speak together then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speak” translations and entries tala, kunna, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kunna, tala, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
