Phrases

How do you say it in Swedish?

Essential phrases for real situations, from your first hej to ordering fika like a local. Every phrase includes a literal translation so you can see how Swedish really works.

Practice phrases

Match phrases, translate them, or type the Swedish yourself.

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What does this mean?

Jag bjuder!

/jɑː bjʉːdɛr/

Greetings & goodbyes

Saying hello, goodbye, and everything in between.

Hej!

Hello! / Hi!

/hej/The universal Swedish greeting — works in every situation, formal or casual.

Hej hej!

Hi there! / Bye!

Literally: “Hello hello”

/hej hej/Casual and warm. Confusingly, it can also mean goodbye.

God morgon!

Good morning!

Literally: “Good morning”

/ɡuː ˈmɔrɔn/

God kväll!

Good evening!

Literally: “Good evening”

/ɡuː kvɛl/

Hej då!

Goodbye!

Literally: “Hello then”

/hej dɔː/The standard goodbye. Slightly more formal than 'hej hej'.

Vi ses!

See you!

Literally: “We see each other”

/viː seːs/

Ha det bra!

Take care!

Literally: “Have it good”

/hɑː deː brɑː/A warm way to say goodbye — you're wishing them well.

Tjena!

Hey! / What's up!

/ˈɕeːna/Very casual — mostly between friends. Not for formal contexts.

Introductions

Introducing yourself and asking about others.

Jag heter …

My name is …

Literally: “I am called …”

/jɑː ˈheːtɛr/The standard way to give your name.

Vad heter du?

What's your name?

Literally: “What are you called?”

/vɑː ˈheːtɛr duː/

Trevligt att träffas!

Nice to meet you!

Literally: “Pleasant to meet”

/ˈtreːvlɪɡt at ˈtrɛfas/Works in both casual and formal settings.

Var kommer du ifrån?

Where are you from?

Literally: “Where come you from?”

/vɑːr ˈkɔmɛr duː ɪˈfrɔːn/

Jag kommer från …

I'm from …

Literally: “I come from …”

/jɑː ˈkɔmɛr frɔːn/

Hur gammal är du?

How old are you?

Literally: “How old are you?”

/hʉːr ˈɡamal ɛːr duː/

Jag talar lite svenska.

I speak a little Swedish.

Literally: “I speak little Swedish”

/jɑː ˈtɑːlar ˈliːtɛ ˈsvɛnska/A great phrase to use early — Swedes usually appreciate the effort.

Talar du engelska?

Do you speak English?

Literally: “Speak you English?”

/ˈtɑːlar duː ˈɛŋɛlska/Almost everyone in Sweden does, but it's polite to ask.

Shopping & paying

Buying things, asking prices, and paying.

Hur mycket kostar det?

How much does it cost?

Literally: “How much costs it?”

/hʉːr ˈmʏkɛ ˈkɔstar deː/The single most useful shopping phrase.

Kan jag betala med kort?

Can I pay by card?

Literally: “Can I pay with card?”

/kan jɑː bɛˈtɑːla meː kuːʈ/Sweden is nearly cashless — but still good to ask.

Jag skulle vilja ha …

I would like …

Literally: “I should want to have …”

/jɑː ˈskʉlɛ ˈvɪlja hɑː/Polite way to ask for something. Very common in shops and cafés.

Har ni det i en annan storlek?

Do you have it in another size?

Literally: “Have you it in another size?”

Kan jag prova den?

Can I try it on?

Literally: “Can I try it?”

For clothes shopping. Use 'den' (en-word) or 'det' (ett-word) depending on the item.

Jag bara tittar, tack.

I'm just looking, thanks.

Literally: “I just look, thanks”

Useful when a shopkeeper approaches you.

Var är kassan?

Where is the checkout?

Literally: “Where is the checkout?”

At a restaurant

Ordering food, asking for the bill, and dietary needs.

Jag skulle vilja boka ett bord.

I'd like to book a table.

Literally: “I should want to book a table”

Kan jag se menyn?

Can I see the menu?

Literally: “Can I see the menu?”

Vad rekommenderar du?

What do you recommend?

Literally: “What recommend you?”

A great way to discover local favourites.

Jag är allergisk mot …

I'm allergic to …

Literally: “I am allergic against …”

Important! Common allergens: nötter (nuts), gluten, mjölk (milk), ägg (eggs).

Kan jag få notan, tack?

Can I have the bill, please?

Literally: “Can I get the bill, thanks?”

'Notan' is the standard word for a restaurant bill.

Det var jättegott!

That was really delicious!

Literally: “It was giant-good!”

/deː vɑːr ˈjɛtɛɡɔt/Jätte- is a prefix meaning 'very/really'. Swedes use it constantly: jättebra, jättefin, jätteroligt.

Jag är vegetarian.

I'm vegetarian.

Sweden is very vegetarian-friendly — most restaurants have good options.

Asking for directions

Finding your way around town.

Ursäkta, var ligger …?

Excuse me, where is …?

Literally: “Excuse, where lies …?”

/ʉːˈʂɛkta vɑːr ˈlɪɡɛr/The go-to way to ask where something is located.

Hur kommer jag till …?

How do I get to …?

Literally: “How come I to …?”

Är det långt härifrån?

Is it far from here?

Literally: “Is it far from here?”

Gå rakt fram.

Go straight ahead.

Literally: “Go straight ahead”

You'll hear this a lot. Other key words: vänster (left), höger (right).

Sväng till vänster / höger.

Turn left / right.

Literally: “Swing to left / right”

Det ligger bredvid …

It's next to …

Literally: “It lies beside …”

Public transport

Buses, trains, and getting around Sweden.

Var är närmaste hållplats?

Where is the nearest stop?

Literally: “Where is nearest stop?”

Hållplats is for buses, station for trains.

Vilken buss går till …?

Which bus goes to …?

Literally: “Which bus goes to …?”

När går nästa tåg till …?

When does the next train to … leave?

Literally: “When goes next train to …?”

En enkelbiljett, tack.

A single ticket, please.

Literally: “A single ticket, thanks”

For a return ticket: 'en tur och retur'.

Var ska jag byta?

Where do I change?

Literally: “Where shall I change?”

Emergencies & help

When something goes wrong and you need help.

Jag behöver hjälp!

I need help!

Literally: “I need help!”

/jɑː bɛˈhøːvɛr jɛlp/The emergency number in Sweden is 112.

Ring en ambulans!

Call an ambulance!

Literally: “Ring an ambulance!”

Jag har tappat bort mig.

I'm lost.

Literally: “I have lost away myself”

Jag mår inte bra.

I don't feel well.

Literally: “I feel not good”

Var är närmaste apotek?

Where is the nearest pharmacy?

Literally: “Where is nearest pharmacy?”

Apotek Hjärtat and Apoteket are the main pharmacy chains.

Kan du hjälpa mig?

Can you help me?

Literally: “Can you help me?”

Small talk & weather

Talking about the weather, weekend plans, and everyday topics.

Hur mår du?

How are you?

Literally: “How feel you?”

/hʉːr moːr duː/The standard 'how are you'. Answer: 'Bra, tack!' (Fine, thanks!)

Bra, tack! Och du?

Fine, thanks! And you?

Literally: “Good, thanks! And you?”

Vad gör du i helgen?

What are you doing this weekend?

Literally: “What do you in the weekend?”

'I helgen' covers the whole weekend. Swedes love asking this on Fridays.

Vilket fint väder!

What nice weather!

Literally: “What fine weather!”

Swedes LOVE talking about good weather — probably because they get so little of it.

Det regnar igen.

It's raining again.

Literally: “It rains again”

You will use this phrase frequently in Gothenburg.

Vad jobbar du med?

What do you do for work?

Literally: “What work you with?”

A very common conversation starter at dinners and parties.

Har du varit i Sverige länge?

Have you been in Sweden long?

Literally: “Have you been in Sweden long?”

Feelings & opinions

Expressing how you feel and what you think.

Jag tycker om …

I like …

Literally: “I think about …”

/jɑː ˈtʏkɛr ɔm/'Tycker om' means to like. 'Tycker' alone means to think/have an opinion.

Jag gillar det!

I like it!

'Gillar' is more casual than 'tycker om'. Very common in everyday speech.

Det spelar ingen roll.

It doesn't matter.

Literally: “It plays no role”

Jag håller med.

I agree.

Literally: “I hold with”

Jag förstår inte.

I don't understand.

Literally: “I understand not”

/jɑː fœˈʂtoːr ˈɪntɛ/Very useful early on. Follow up with 'Kan du säga det igen?' (Can you say it again?)

Vad kul!

How fun! / Cool!

Literally: “What fun!”

/vɑː kʉːl/Swedes say 'vad kul' constantly. It's the go-to positive reaction.

Jag längtar dit.

I'm looking forward to going there.

Literally: “I long there”

'Längta' is a beautiful Swedish word — a deep longing. Längtar hem = homesick.

Being polite

Thank you, sorry, excuse me — the essentials of Swedish politeness.

Tack!

Thank you!

/tak/Swedes say tack ALL the time. It's almost a reflex.

Tack så mycket!

Thank you so much!

Literally: “Thanks so much”

/tak soː ˈmʏkɛ/

Varsågod!

You're welcome! / Here you go!

Literally: “Be so good”

/ˈvɑːʂoːɡuːd/Used both as 'you're welcome' and when handing something to someone.

Ursäkta!

Excuse me! / Sorry!

Literally: “Excuse”

/ʉːˈʂɛkta/For getting someone's attention, or apologising for bumping into them.

Förlåt!

I'm sorry!

Literally: “Forgive”

/fœˈɭoːt/A deeper apology than 'ursäkta' — this is for when you actually did something wrong.

Ingen fara!

No worries!

Literally: “No danger”

The Swedish 'no worries'. Very commonly used.

Det var snällt av dig!

That was kind of you!

Literally: “It was kind of you”

Phone & email

Making calls, leaving messages, and writing emails.

Hallå?

Hello? (on the phone)

/haˈloː/This is only used on the phone — not as a regular greeting.

Kan jag tala med …?

Can I speak to …?

Literally: “Can I speak with …?”

Kan du upprepa det?

Can you repeat that?

Literally: “Can you repeat it?”

Useful on phone calls where you can't read lips or gestures.

Jag ringer tillbaka.

I'll call back.

Literally: “I ring back”

Med vänliga hälsningar

Kind regards

Literally: “With friendly greetings”

The standard email sign-off in Swedish. Often abbreviated to 'Mvh'.

Fika & socialising

The art of Swedish coffee culture and hanging out.

Ska vi fika?

Shall we have fika?

Literally: “Shall we fika?”

/skɑː viː ˈfiːka/The most Swedish question you can ask. Fika = coffee and something sweet, plus the conversation around it.

En kaffe, tack.

A coffee, please.

Literally: “A coffee, thanks”

'Kaffe' is en-word. 'En stor kaffe' = a large coffee.

Har ni havremjölk?

Do you have oat milk?

Literally: “Have you oat-milk?”

Sweden is the home of Oatly — nearly every café has oat milk.

Vad har ni för bullar idag?

What kind of buns do you have today?

Literally: “What have you for buns today?”

Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun) is the classic, but there are many kinds.

Ska vi ses på en afterwork?

Shall we meet up for an after-work?

Literally: “Shall we see each other at an afterwork?”

Afterwork (AW) is a big thing in Swedish culture — casual drinks with colleagues after work, usually on Thursdays or Fridays.

Jag bjuder!

My treat!

Literally: “I invite!”

/jɑː bjʉːdɛr/'Bjuda' means to treat/invite. 'Tack för att du bjöd!' = Thanks for treating!

Smaklig måltid!

Enjoy your meal!

Literally: “Tasty meal!”

The Swedish equivalent of 'bon appétit' — used at the start of a meal.

Showing 80 of 80 phrases

We’re adding new phrases regularly, got a situation you’d like covered? Let us know.