Swedish is a language spoken by around 10 million people in Sweden, in addition to several million more in other parts of the world. Whether you plan to take a trip to this country or want to impress a Swedish friend, knowing how to say “hello” in Swedish will help you start a basic conversation. The most common way to do this is by using the word "hej" ("hei" with the drawn h).
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Greet someone
Step 1. The word "hej" works as a greeting in most situations
As in many languages, in Swedish there are several words and phrases that you can use to say "hello." However, "hej" is the most used. Since it works in any situation, it is actually the only word you should know.
You can also use “hallå” (“halo” with the “h” drawn in), which is another common way of saying hello (and it sounds quite similar to the word “hello” in English)
Tip:
Swedes find that a greeting sounds more cheerful and friendly if you repeat it twice. Therefore, if you want to convey your good humor to whoever you greet, you can say hej hej!.
Step 2. Use “tjenare (“SHEHnahreh”with the soft“sh”) or tja (“sheah”) to greet a close friend
This word is like a more colloquial greeting. It is usually used to talk between friends or people of the same age.
Tjenare or tja are also used in casual situations. That is, they would not be the most appropriate options if you find yourself in a job interview or to start a conversation with someone who has authority over you, such as a teacher or a police officer. However, since Swedish is a relatively informal language, these words are considered correct for the vast majority of situations other than those mentioned
Step 3. To be respectful, greet the elders with god dag (“gud daj”)
In general, Swedes are not very formal, but many of the older people prefer to be greeted in a more respectful tone than with the word “hej”. God dag means "good morning", but it is used more as a "how are you?" or "how are you doing?"
- This phrase can also be used in more formal situations or when addressing someone in authority.
- Likewise, the phrase god kväll ("gud k-vel" emitting the phoneme "k" without a vowel), meaning "good night", is used only in very formal situations and is rarely used in everyday conversation.
Step 4. You can add variety to your vocabulary with the phrase god morgon (“gud moRON” with the guttural pronunciation of “r”)
Before noon, but especially early in the morning, it is common to say this phrase, which means "good morning", as a greeting. This is appropriate in both formal and informal situations.
You can combine the phrase god morgon with hej, especially if you are going to greet someone you already know. For example, you could say, “hej hej! God morgon! "
Step 5. To find out how a person is doing, you can ask hur har du det
This phrase is relatively informal, but it is one of the most common ways of saying "how are you?" In Swedish. If you want a literal translation, it would be "how do you get it?"
Another common phrase is hur är lä get?. It means "how's everything going?" and it is more informal than hur har du det. If you are chatting with a friend or someone you know well, you can shorten the sentence even more and say Lä get?
Common Answers:
Bara, bra, tack. This phrase means "good, thank you." It is used to respond to any phrase that is used to ask "how are you?"
Step 6. Say hej då (“hei doh”) to say goodbye
There is no specific word to say "goodbye" in Swedish. Hej då is the most used phrase to say goodbye, although some people only say hej again when they are leaving.
- A literal translation of hej då is simply "hello, then."
- Adjö ("ah deo") can also be used as a farewell. He considers that it is usually used in formal situations and has a slightly cutting character, such as when you say "good morning" to end an interaction. It is pronounced similar to the French word "adieu".
- Farväl (“farvel”), which means “goodbye” or “I say goodbye”, is considered an old-fashioned word and is not used much. However, it can be a fun option if you want to add a dramatic touch to your hen party. You could even accompany the word with a bow or bow.
Method 2 of 3: Introduce yourself
Step 1. Learn the personal pronouns in Swedish
Jag (“yag”, with a soft “y”) is the first person singular pronoun, while du (pronounced as “deu”) is the second person singular pronoun. Swedish also has a formal second person pronoun, ni (“ni”), but it is hardly used today, except when speaking to an older person.
- The u in Swedish doesn't sound exactly like it does in Spanish. To pronounce a word like du, you must position your tongue as if to pronounce the “y” sound, but with your lips more closed, and make a long “u” or “eu” sound with the short e.
- Han (“han”, with the “h” aspirated) is the pronoun “the”, while hon (“hun”, with the “h aspirated) is the pronoun for“she”.
Step 2. Use the phrase jag heter (“yag heter”, with the h drawn in) to say your name
The phrase jag heter literally means "my name is". It is followed by your name. Since Swedish culture and language are somewhat informal, you can only use your first name (no last name).
- Native speakers tend to group their words together. When this happens, the pronunciation of the g is lost a bit. So sometimes this phrase sounds like "ya ye ter".
- To ask for the other person's name, use the phrase vad heter du? ("Vad heter dew"). You can also say och du ("oc dew"), which means "and you?" after introducing yourself.
Tip:
verbs like heter and kommer in Swedish remain the same. Therefore, you don't have to worry about conjugation, no matter what pronouns you use.
Step 3. To say where you come from or your nationality, say jag kommer från
After saying your name, generally what is said is your place of origin. The phrase jag kommer från ("yag komer fron") is completed with the name of your country of origin. You can use the translation of the name in Swedish or English (since many Swedes speak English). They will most likely understand you either way.
- For example, if you want to say “I come from the United States,” you could say Jag kommer från Amérika, Jag kommer från USA, or Jag kommer från United States.
- To ask someone where it comes from, use the phrase Varifrån kommer du?.
Method 3 of 3: Have a Basic Conversation
Step 1. Let people know that you don't speak much Swedish
Most Swedes are impressed when someone tries to learn at least a little of their language. You can say jag talar bara lite svenska (“yag talar bara lite svenska”), which means “I only speak a little Swedish”.
- Most Swedes know English. So, can you ask Talar du engelska? ("Cut down dew enyelska"). This phrase means "do you speak English?"
- If you talk to someone who doesn't understand English very well, could you ask him var kan jag hitta någon som talar engelska? ("Var kan yag hita noagon som talar enyelska"), which means "where can I find someone who speaks English?"
- If the person you're talking to says something in Swedish and you don't understand, you can say jag förstår inte ("yag feorstor inte"), which means "I don't understand."
Step 2. Explain that you are learning Swedish
Since most Swedes speak English, they may start speaking to you in this language if they think it is your mother tongue or that it is easier for you. If you prefer to be spoken to in Swedish, you can say du kan prata svenska med mig, which means “you can speak to me in Swedish”.
You can also say öva svenska med mig, which means “practice Swedish with me”
Step 3. Ask direct questions if you need help with an address or other information
If you are traveling within the country, remember that Swedes tend to avoid small talk. Unless you have something specific to ask, they don't usually start a conversation with a stranger. However, they have no problem helping you if you have a specific question.
- For starters, it's a good idea to learn some basic interrogative pronouns: vem ("vem") which means "who", vad ("vad") which means "what", när ("naer") which means "when", varför ("Varfeor") which means "why" or "for what" and hur ("hur", with the aspirated h) which means "how".
- There are two words in Swedish for "where". Vart ("vart") is to ask where someone is going and var ("var") is to ask where someone is at that moment. However, when you speak, you may not notice much difference between the two words.
Common questions in Swedish:
Var ligger toaletten? means "where is the bathroom ?. Hur mycket kostar det? means "how much does it cost?" You can also ask Vad kostar den?, which means "how much does this cost?"
Step 4. Show your good manners by saying tack (“tak”)
In Swedish, the word tack is used to say both "please" and "thank you," depending on the situation. When you ask someone a question, tack is usually added at the end as a courtesy.
- Snälla ("snela") is another word for "please". It is considered more informal than tack.
- Varsågod ("varsogud") means "you're welcome" or "no reason", while förlåt ("feorlot") means "sorry" or "excuse me."
- Ursäkta ("ursekta") means "excuse me." The complete phrase is ursäkta mig, but the mig is not necessary in Swedish.
Step 5. Use ja, nej, or kanske to answer basic binary questions (yes or no)
If you are in conversation with someone, they may ask you something that you can simply answer with yes or no. If your answer is yes, use ja ("ya"). To say "no," use nej ("nei"), or kanske ("kanshe") to say "maybe."
- You can also say jag vet inte ("yag vet inte"), which means "I don't know."
- If you need them to repeat what they just said, say förlåt. It means "excuse me", but it is used to communicate "how did you say?" or "could you repeat what you said, please?"