Sweden is the largest country in Northern Europe, the third-largest country in the European Union, and the fifth largest country in the entire European continent. It is also the most popular destination for foreigners in the Nordics.

Despite the number of tourists coming to Sweden, there are still some people that get culture shocked. Most Swedish people may be good at speaking English, but don't be surprised if someone approaches you in Swedish. Trust me, no matter how Asian I look, I deal with that all the time, which is also why it's best to learn Swedish when you plan to live here permanently.

Not only that everyone here speaks Swedish (maybe except for some immigrants who are not required to talk Swedish at work), but Swedes use their language on almost everything. Public signages, menus, and even the instructions on how to cook that packed food you can buy in the supermarket. On the bright side, if you speak another nordic language, then you'd be lucky when it comes to those food packs, or at least, it makes it easier for you to understand the words even if it's in Swedish.

Regardless of whatever reason you have in visiting Sweden, it's always nice to know a few words to blend in a little bit (and maybe not feel out of place).

I've come up with a few words, phrases, and sentences that you'd most likely use almost every day in Sweden. I made sure to divide it into different parts/scenarios to make it easier.

Just a heads up, Swedish alphabet has 3 additional letters: å, ä, ö

See how to pronounce the Swedish letters here.

 

I don’t speak Swedish.	Jag pratar inte svenska.
I only speak English.	Jag pratar bara engelska.
Do you speak English?	Pratar du engelska?
Can you say it in English?	Kan du säga det på engelska?
I don’t understand.	Jag förstår inte.
I don’t know.	Jag vet inte.
I only speak a little Swedish.	Jag pratar bara lite svenska.
What did you say?	Vad sa du?
Can you repeat it?	Kan du repetera det?

 

Ursäkta, jag förstår inte. Kan du säga det på engelska? 

Sorry, I don’t understand. Can you say it in English?

 

Words and phrases that you can use on a daily basis:

Hi	Hej	It’s also common to hear Swedes greeting you hej hej.
Hello	Hallå, Hejsan
Goodbye	Hejdå
See you	Vi ses	This is another common term to use when saying goodbye.
Thank you	Tack
Thank you very much	Tack så mycket
Thank you too	Tack själv
You’re welcome	Varsågod	You’d also hear this in cases like when you ask someone something and as they give it to you, they’d say varsågod before you get to say thank you
Excuse me	Ursäkta	This can also be another term for saying sorry.
Sorry	Förlåt
Yes	Ja
No	Nej
Maybe	Kanske	Pronunciation of this word varies with dialects.
Please	Snälla

 

Conversational

What’s your name?	Vad heter du?	Direct translation: What are you called?
I am Dothy.	Jag heter Dothy.	This is commonly used in introducing yourself.
My name is Dothy.	Mitt namn är Dothy.
Where are you from?	Varifrån kommer du?
I’m from the Philippines.	Jag kommer från Filippinerna.
Where do you live?	Var bor du?
I live in Sweden.	Jag bor i Sverige.

 

Jag kommer från Filippinerna men jag bor i Sverige.

I’m from the Philippines but I live in Sweden.

See the country names in Swedish here.

 

How are you?	Hur mår du? Hur står du till?
How’s it going?	Hur är läget?
I’m good, thanks!	Jag mår bra, tack!
It’s fine, thanks!	Det går bra, tack!
Not so good.	Inte så bra.
Nice to meet you!	Trevligt att träffas!
Have a good day!	Ha en bra dag!
Have a good time!	Ha de (så) bra!
Take care!	Ta hand om dig!
You too!	Detsamma!

 

Greetings

Good morning	God morgon
Good noon	God middag
Good afternoon	God eftermiddag
Good evening	God kväll
Good night	God natt
Have a nice weekend!	Trevlig helg!
Happy Birthday!	Grattis på födelsedagen!
Congratulations!	Grattis!	Careful with the spelling on this as gratis means free.
Merry Christmas!	God Jul!
Happy New Year!	Gott Nytt År!
Happy Easter!	Glad Påsk!
Happy Solstice!	Glad Midsommar!	Midsummer greeting.
Good luck!	Lycka till!
Welcome!	Välkommen

 

Food / Restaurants

Breakfast	Frukost
Lunch	Lunch
Dinner	Middag	Can be confusing as middag also means noon.
*coffee break*	fika	A Swedish term for having coffee and eating something sweet. It's also both a noun and a verb.
I am hungry.	Jag är hungrig.
I am thirsty.	Jag är törstig.
A table for two.	Ett bord för två.
Have a nice meal!	Smaklig måltid!
It tastes good!	Det smakar gott!
Thanks for the food!	Tack for mat!	It’s common to say this to the host after eating.
A cup of coffee, please.	En kopp kaffe, tack!	It’s common to use tack when saying please.

 

Shopping

Do you want a plastic bag?	Vill du ha en plastpåse?
Do you want the receipt?	Vill du ha kvittot?
Are you a member?	Är du medlem?

 

Travel

Car	Bil
Vehicle	Fordon
Public transport	Kollektivtrafik
Bus	Buss
Train	Tog
Tram	Spårvagn
Ticket	Biljett
Stop (station)	Hållplats
Stop (stopping)	Stanna	It’s common to hear stannar vid __ when you’re approaching a stop.
Last stop	Ändhållplats
Boat	Båt
Ferry	Färja

 

Relationships

I like you.	Jag tycker om dig.
I love you.	Jag älskar dig.
I miss you.	Jag saknar dig.
Friend	Vän, Kompis	Kompis is a more casual term.
Boyfriend	Pojkvän
Girlfriend	Flickvän
Cohabiting partner	Sambo
Husband	Man
Wife	Fru
Spouse	Make

 

Numbers

one	en	eleven	elva	ten	tio
two	två	twelve	tolv	twenty	tjugo
three	tre	thirteen	tretton	thirty	trettio
four	fyra	fourteen	fjorton	forty	fyrtio
five	fem	fifteen	femton	fifty	femtio
six	sex	sixteen	sexton	sixty	sextio
seven	sju	seventeen	sjutton	seventy	sjuttio
eight	åtta	eighteen	arton	eighty	åttio
nine	nio	nineteen	nitton	ninety	nittio
ten	tio	twenty	tjugo	one hundred	ett hundra

 

Emergencies

Help!	Hjälp!
I need help!	Jag behöver hjälp!
Can you help me?	Kan du hjälpa mig?
I am sick.	Jag är sjuk.
I need a doctor.	Jag behöver en läkare.
Pain	Ont
Accident	Olycka

In case of emergencies, take note of the following numbers:

• 112 – Swedish Emergency number
• 1177 – Number for medical help and advice

If traveling to Sweden, or any other country, whether you’re staying there for good or just for leisure, it’s always best to take note and save the local emergency numbers.

 

I know it’s a lot but when all else fails, you can always just say my favorite line when I just moved here - “I’m sorry?.”

Works 99% of the time. Everyone will instantly switch to English.

 

Hope this could help! Happy learning!