Four words that could be easily confused in Swedish: bestämma, beställa, betala och berätta
During my process of learning Swedish, I often get confused by these four words. They have similar spelling and the common “be-” prefix. Let’s have a look at them.
bestämma
Meaning: determine, prescribe, decide, settle
This verb is used when making decisions or determining something.
Examples:
- Jag ska bestämma vilken film vi ska titta på. (I will decide which movie we should watch.)
- Läkaren bestämde att hon behöver vila. (The doctor prescribed that she needs to rest.)
beställa
Meaning: book, reserve, order
