Swedish Phrases: Common Everyday Phrases with Pronunciation

Swedish phrases for everyday life: how to say hello, thank you and goodbye, how to introduce yourself, and the typical Swedish expressions you’ll hear at every fika, with pronunciation.

Swedish phrases are short, fixed expressions you use to greet people, say thank you, apologise or keep a conversation going. Swedes are relaxed and informal, but they’re also very polite in their own quiet way. Knowing the right phrase at the right moment, like tack för maten after a meal, shows that you’ve understood more than just the words.

I speak Norwegian at business level and hold conversations in Swedish, and I’ve learned that the small everyday phrases matter more than perfect grammar. They’re what you hear a hundred times a day, and they’re what makes Swedes switch from English back to Swedish with you. Below you’ll find the most useful ones, with pronunciation in IPA. If the symbols are new to you, our guide to the Swedish alphabet and pronunciation explains the sounds.

How to say hello in Swedish

The most important Swedish word is also the easiest: hej. Swedes use it with friends, in shops, in emails and with their boss. Since the so-called du reform in the late 1960s, almost everyone in Sweden uses the informal “you” (du), and greetings are just as informal. Formal greetings like god dag sound old-fashioned today.

Tip: Hej hej is just a friendlier hej, and you’ll often hear it as a goodbye too. Tjena and tja are casual and best kept for friends and colleagues you know well.

How are you in Swedish?

Hur mår du? is a real question about how someone feels. For a casual “how’s it going?”, Swedes usually say Hur är det? or simply Läget?

If someone asks you, these answers work in almost every situation:

How to say goodbye in Swedish

How to introduce yourself in Swedish

Sooner or later you’ll meet Swedes at work, at a party or through your partner. These phrases help you introduce yourself and keep the conversation in Swedish:

Note that Swedes say prata (to talk) much more often than the more formal tala. Pratar du engelska? sounds natural; Talar du engelska? sounds like a textbook.

Typical Swedish expressions you’ll hear every day

These are the words and phrases that make Swedish sound Swedish. You won’t always find them in a textbook, but you’ll hear them at work, at the supermarket and at every fika. Learn them, and you’ll understand a surprising amount of everyday conversation.

One more thing you’ll notice in real life: many Swedes say a short “ja” or “mm” while breathing in. It sounds strange at first, but it simply means “yes, I’m listening”. It’s especially common in the north of Sweden, and it’s one of the first things learners notice when they start listening closely.

Useful sentences with “I am…”

With jag är (I am) and jag har (I have), you can describe how you feel and what you need. Note that Swedish uses jag har bråttom (literally: I have hurry) for “I’m in a hurry”.

How to apologise in Swedish

Förlåt is the everyday “sorry”. Ursäkta is more like “excuse me”. And the most common answer to an apology is the relaxed ingen fara, no problem.

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Useful signs and notices in Swedish

These are the signs you’ll see most often in Sweden, in train stations, shops and public buildings. The emergency number in Sweden is 112.

Numbers 1 to 25 in Swedish

When counting, Swedes use ett for one. In front of a noun, it’s en or ett depending on the gender of the word: en kaffe, ett äpple. In everyday speech, nio and tio often sound like “nie” and “tie”.

Colours in Swedish

Days of the week, months and seasons in Swedish

Unlike in English, the days of the week and the months are written in lower case in Swedish: måndag, januari.

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How to remember these Swedish phrases

Reading a list of phrases once won’t make them stick. What works, in my experience with every language I’ve learned:

• Say them out loud. Every phrase, every time. Your mouth needs the practice as much as your memory.
• Use them the same day. Say hej and tack in the shop, write trevlig helg to a colleague on Friday.
• Review at increasing intervals. Come back to the phrases after one day, three days and a week. More on this method in our guide to learning vocabulary successfully.
• Listen to them in context. Phrases make sense when you hear them in real conversations. That’s why a course with native audio, or the right Swedish learning app, speeds things up.

Frequently asked questions about Swedish phrases

How do you say hello in Swedish?

The most common way is hej. It works in almost every situation, from shops to emails to your boss. Hej hej is a friendlier version, and tjena is a casual hi among friends.

How do you say thank you in Swedish?

Thank you is tack, and thank you very much is tack så mycket. The answer to tack is often varsågod, which also means here you go.

How do you say how are you in Swedish?

Hur mår du? is a sincere how are you. For a casual how’s it going, Swedes say hur är det? or simply läget?

How do you say goodbye in Swedish?

The everyday goodbye is hej då. Vi ses means see you, and ha det så bra is a warm take care.

What does lagom mean?

Lagom means just the right amount: not too much and not too little. It’s often described as a key part of the Swedish mentality of balance and moderation.

What is fika in Sweden?

Fika is a coffee break, usually with something sweet like a cinnamon bun. In Sweden it’s a social ritual at work and with friends, and it’s also used as a verb: ska vi fika? means shall we have a fika?

Related links

• Learn Swedish: a realistic plan from your first words to real conversations
• The Swedish alphabet with pronunciation
• Is Swedish hard to learn? An honest answer
• The best apps to learn Swedish
• How to improve your listening comprehension

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