Swedish vocabulary
Greetings in Swedish
Hello, goodbye, thanks and sorry, free to learn in your browser.
A handful of words carry most everyday politeness in Swedish. Hej and tack get you surprisingly far: Swedes use hej with everyone and say tack far more often than English speakers say thanks.
Greetings and polite words
| # | Swedish | English | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | hej | hi, hello | the everyday greeting, any time of day |
| 2 | hejdå | bye | also written hej då |
| 3 | god morgon | good morning | until about 10 a.m. |
| 4 | god kväll | good evening | a bit formal |
| 5 | god natt | good night | before going to bed |
| 6 | tack | thanks | tack så mycket = thank you very much |
| 7 | snälla | please | for asking a favour; often left out |
| 8 | varsågod | here you are; you're welcome | when giving something or answering tack |
| 9 | förlåt | sorry | apologising |
| 10 | ursäkta | excuse me | getting attention, or a small sorry |
| 11 | välkommen | welcome | välkomna to several people |
| 12 | hur mår du? | how are you? | answer: bra, tack |
| 13 | vi ses | see you | casual goodbye |
| 14 | ha det bra | take care | friendly goodbye |
| 15 | ja | yes | |
| 16 | nej | no |
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Questions about Swedish greetings
- How do you say hello in Swedish?
- Hej. It works with everyone, any time of day, from friends to your boss. Hejsan and tjena are more casual variants.
- How do you say please in Swedish?
- Snälla works when you ask for a favour, but Swedes often skip it and are polite through tone and tack instead: Kan jag få en kaffe, tack? (Can I have a coffee, please?).
- What is the difference between förlåt and ursäkta?
- Förlåt is a real apology (sorry). Ursäkta is for getting someone's attention or a small slip, like excuse me: Ursäkta, var ligger stationen?
- What does varsågod mean?
- It is said when you hand something over (here you are) or invite someone to start (go ahead). It is also a common reply to tack.