Swedish glossary

Learning Swedish is tough, some say. Why not start by using this Swedish–English glossary to learn some basic words and phrases? It’s not that difficult, really.

Greetings & courtesies

Swedish English
God morgon! Good morning
God natt! Good night


Hej!
or Tjena!		 Hello
Hi (informal)
Hejdå! Bye-bye


Hur mår du?
or Hur står det till?
or Hur är läget?		 How are you? (neutral)
How are you? (formal)
What’s up? (informal)
Bara bra, tack. Och du? I’m fine, thanks. And you?


Tack! Thank you/Please (depending on the context)
Varsågod! Here you go/Please/You’re welcome (depending on the context)


Talar du engelska? Do you speak English?
Trevligt att träffas Pleased to meet you


Ursäkta mig! Excuse me
Ursäkta mig, var ligger toaletten? Excuse me, where is the restroom/toilet?

Kanelbulle = cinnamon bun.
Read an article about cinnamon buns.
Photo: Björn Tesch/imagebank.sweden.se

Food & drinks

Swedish English
Bröd Bread
En dagens, tack! Today’s special, please (mostly lunch time)
En stor stark A lager beer (literally: ‘a big strong’)
Ett glas rött/vitt A glass of red/white wine
Fisk Fish
Kaffe på maten Coffee after dinner (literally: ‘coffee on the food’)
Knäckebröd Crispbread
Kyckling Chicken
Kött Meat
Köttbullar och lingonsylt Meatballs and lingonberry jam
Lättöl Low-alcohol beer (a maximum of 2.25% alcohol by volume, common in Sweden)
Mjölk Milk
Ost Cheese
Skaldjur Shellfish
Smör Butter
Vatten Water
Vegetariskt Vegetarian

Feelings

Swedish English
Förlåt! I’m sorry/Forgive me
Jag gillar dig I like you
Jag hatar dig I hate you
Jag älskar dig I love you
Jag är ledsen I’m sorry/I’m sad (depending on the context)

Älg = moose.
Photo: Folio/
imagebank.sweden.se

Read more about the moose here:
Sweden’s most dangerous animal

Typically Swedish

Swedish English
Fika Coffee break (including the socialising that goes with it)
Glögg The Swedish version of mulled wine
Lagom Just right; not too little, not too much
Nja (nej + ja) No and yes
Ombudsman Ombudsman (!)
Påtår A refill of coffee (often included)
Sambo Someone who lives together with his/her partner without being married (short for samboende)
Smörgåsbord Smorgasbord
Särbo Someone who is in a long-term relationship but does not live together with his/her partner
Älg Moose (Eurasian elk)

Numerals

0 Noll
1 Ett
2 Två
3 Tre
4 Fyra
5 Fem
6 Sex
7 Sju
8 Åtta
9 Nio
10 Tio

Useful links

Ord.se Online multilingual dictionary
Tyda.se Online dictionary, mostly Swedish–English–Swedish
bab.la Multilingual phrase dictionary
learningswedish.se Free online Swedish course for beginners

 

Comentaris

Publica un comentari a l'entrada

Entrades populars d'aquest blog

Political parties in Sweden

Imatge
The Swedish parliament is made up of 349 political representatives, currently from eight different parties. Get some insight into the biggest political parties in Sweden below. #1 Social Democrats Party leader: Stefan Löfven, also Prime Minister of Sweden The Social Democratic Party – a labour party at its core – was founded in 1889, which makes it the oldest political party in Sweden. Party leader since 2012 is Stefan Löfven, and he is also Prime Minister of Sweden. The policies of the Social Democrats are based on freedom, equality and solidarity, and the party prioritises creating more jobs and providing a better education for all. The Social Democrats had a fairly dominant position in Swedish politics between the 1930s and the 1980s, and is still Sweden’s largest political party. Since 2014 the Social Democratic Party has been in government together with the Green Party. Read more about the Social Democratic Party . Read about the Swedish system of govern...
Més informació

Gender equality in Sweden

Imatge
Gender equality is one of the cornerstones of Swedish society. The aim of Sweden’s gender equality policies is to ensure that everyone enjoys the same opportunities, rights and obligations in all areas of life. The Swedish approach to gender equality The overarching principle is that everyone, regardless of gender, has the right to work and support themselves, to balance career and family life, and to live without the fear of abuse or violence. Gender equality implies not only equal distribution between men and women in all domains of society. It is also about the qualitative aspects, ensuring that the knowledge and experience of both men and women are used to promote progress in all aspects of society. The annual Global Gender Gap Report , introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006, measures equality in the areas of economics, politics, education and health. Since the report’s inception, Sweden has never finished lower than fifth i...
Més informació

10 YouTube clips about Swedishness

Imatge
Swedishness is a broad concept. Social codes take years to master, some say. So as your introduction to all things Swedish, here are 10 YouTube videos. #1 Swedishness In Sweden, the same rules apply to everyone. Check out former prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt’s cameo at 1:45 – he actually has the nerve to dodge the very important task of emptying the dishwasher at work!   #2 Will Ferrell Explains a Christmas Tradition An American instructing an Englishman in the art of singing Sweden’s most popular aquavit song. How could this one not be a hit?   #3 10 Swedish Words You Won’t Find in English The Swedish language boasts some impressive verbs and adjectives that get to the point quickly   #4 Surströmming! You Asked, W...
Més informació