Not just TikTok. Instagram too. I printed a study schedule and stuck it on the fridge — right where mormor's card is now, but that's another story.
Six days of pure discipline. I felt like a new person. I told people I felt like a new person.
On day seven I reinstalled TikTok in a hotel bathroom and scrolled for an hour with my thumb on fire.
Here's what I needed someone to tell me that week, so I'm telling you now: the streak was never the problem. Discipline was never the missing piece. You've got three learning apps and you watch cartoons in Swedish — you're not lazy. You're fighting the single most addictive machine ever built, with willpower. Everyone loses that fight.
Before I get to what actually worked — here's the other thing I promised. The 20 glue words.
Swedes don't talk in textbook sentences. Apps start you at 'the turtle drinks milk'. Real conversations are held together by tiny everyday words — the glue between sentences:
Precis = exactly. Someone talks, you nod, 'precis' — you're in the conversation.
Alltså = so / I mean. Buys you thinking time while you panic quietly.
Gärna = gladly. Visst = sure. Jätte- = super-. Bolt them onto anything: 'jättegärna!' Congratulations, you're charming now.
And the queen of them all: 'Vad betyder det?' — what does that mean? Four words that turn shame into curiosity. I started asking it at dinner instead of pretending to understand. The family loved it. Swedes love explaining Swedish.
The 20 glue words
- 1.precis= exactly / spot on
say it: “preh-SEES”
Someone says anything even vaguely true, you nod: 'precis.' You're in the conversation without building a single sentence.
- 2.alltså= so / I mean / well…
say it: “ALT-soh”
Buys you thinking time while you panic quietly. Swedes start half their sentences with it, so you'll sound local, not lost.
- 3.gärna= gladly / I'd love to
say it: “YAIR-nah”
Anyone offers you anything — coffee, seconds, a lift home — 'gärna.' An instant yes with charm built in.
- 4.visst= sure / of course
say it: “visst (like 'vist')”
The easy agreement. Someone asks if something's okay — 'visst!' Done. You sound relaxed even when you're not.
- 5.jätte-= super- / really
say it: “YET-teh”
Bolt it onto anything: jättegod, jättefint, jättegärna. Congratulations, you're charming now.
- 6.vad betyder det?= what does that mean?
say it: “vah beh-TEE-der DEH”
The queen of them all. Four words that turn shame into curiosity. Ask it at dinner instead of pretending — Swedes love explaining Swedish.
- 7.typ= like / sort of
say it: “teep — round your lips like you're about to whistle”
The Swedish 'like'. 'Typ tio minuter' — like ten minutes. One word and you instantly sound less like a textbook.
- 8.liksom= kind of / you know
say it: “LEEK-som”
Filler, in the best way. Sprinkle it mid-sentence while your brain catches up. Every Swede under fifty does.
- 9.ju= as you know / obviously
say it: “yoo (short and quick)”
Untranslatable and everywhere. 'Det är ju bra!' — well, that's good! Steal it whole; it's pure native flavour.
- 10.väl= right? / surely
say it: “vell”
Turns a statement into a soft question: 'Du kommer väl?' — you're coming, right? Gentle, hopeful, very Swedish.
- 11.nog= probably / I reckon
say it: “noog”
Hedge like a Swede. 'Det går nog bra' — it'll probably be fine. The national motto, honestly.
- 12.kanske= maybe
say it: “KAN-sheh”
Your best friend when committing feels dangerous. 'Kanske!' keeps every door open, politely.
- 13.absolut= absolutely
say it: “ap-soo-LOOT”
The enthusiastic yes. When 'visst' feels too casual and you actually mean it — 'absolut.'
- 14.jaha= oh, I see / right
say it: “ya-HAH”
The sound of understanding arriving. Works even when it hasn't quite arrived yet. I got weeks of mileage out of this one.
- 15.jaså= oh really?
say it: “YAH-soh”
Polite surprise. Keeps them talking while you catch up — which, at a Swedish dinner table, is half the game.
- 16.nämen= oh wow / no way
say it: “NEH-men”
Pure delight. Someone shows you a photo of their dog, their kid, their summer house: 'Nämen!' You're family now.
- 17.eller hur?= right? / isn't it just?
say it: “EL-ler HEWR”
Agreement bait. Tack it onto an opinion and someone will agree with you — in Swedish, out loud, with you. It counts.
- 18.en gång till?= one more time?
say it: “en gong TILL”
The gentle rescue when you missed it. So much better than freezing. Everyone slows down, nobody minds.
- 19.vad kul!= how fun! / that's great!
say it: “vah KEWL”
The all-purpose happy response to anyone's news. Promotion, puppy, potatoes turned out well — 'vad kul!'
- 20.det låter bra= that sounds good
say it: “deh LOH-ter BRAH”
Closes any plan. Dinner on Saturday? 'Det låter bra.' Four words and you've made plans in Swedish. That's a whole conversation.
Drill three of them tonight. Start with 'vad betyder det?' — say it once at dinner and watch what happens.
Now. The thing that actually worked.
It didn't need discipline at all. It's backwards — so backwards I was embarrassed to tell Elias about it at first. It's the reason I still scroll every single day, and the reason I answered mormor in Swedish 87 days after midsommar.
Tomorrow I'll show you what 87 days of it looks like. The numbers surprised even me — one of them still makes me laugh.
That part arrives as a letter.