What you will learn
You can greet people, say your name, ask for someone’s name and say goodbye.
Hello and goodbye
| Swedish | English | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Hej! | Hi, hello | Any time, with anyone. This is the most common greeting. |
| God morgon! | Good morning | In the morning |
| God kväll! | Good evening | In the evening |
| Hej då! | Bye | When you leave |
| Vi ses! | See you | When you will meet again |
Your name
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Jag heter Elin. | My name is Elin. |
| Vad heter du? | What is your name? |
| Trevligt att träffas! | Nice to meet you! |
| Detsamma! | Likewise! |
| Välkommen! | Welcome! (to one person) |
Heter means is called. Jag heter Elin is the usual way to say your name, and Vad heter du? is the usual way to ask for someone else’s.
How are you
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Hur mår du? | How are you? |
| Jag mår bra, tack. | I am fine, thanks. |
| Bra, tack. Och du? | Fine, thanks. And you? |
Hur mår du? asks how someone is feeling. You often hear it between people who already know each other.
Small polite words
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Tack! | Thanks! |
| Tack så mycket! | Thank you very much! |
| Varsågod. | Here you are, when you give someone something |
| Ursäkta! | Excuse me! |
Du for one person
Swedish uses du for one person in almost every situation, also with teachers, colleagues and people you have just met. The next lesson shows du together with the other words for people.
A short example
It is morning. Elin and Kenji meet for the first time.
| Speaker | Swedish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Elin | God morgon! Jag heter Elin. | Good morning! My name is Elin. |
| Kenji | Hej! Jag heter Kenji. | Hi! My name is Kenji. |
| Elin | Trevligt att träffas, Kenji. | Nice to meet you, Kenji. |
| Kenji | Detsamma! | Likewise! |
The letters å, ä and ö
Swedish has three extra letters, å, ä and ö. They come last in the alphabet, after z. They are letters of their own, so writing a or o instead changes the word.
Each of the three letters has its own sound. Audio for this course is planned.
Common mistakes
| Not like this | Like this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Saying Hej då! when you arrive | Saying Hej! | Hej då means bye. |
| Saying God morgon! in the evening | Saying God kväll! or Hej! | God morgon is only for the morning. |
| God kvall | God kväll | Write å, ä and ö. A or o in their place gives a different or wrong word. |