Say Hello in the Swedish Language
Svenska
Swedish is the official language of Sweden and the other national language of Finland besides Finnish. Its roots go back to what is called Old Norse, the language of all Scandinavian regions and the Vikings. Over several centuries from the 9th century onward, Old Norse evolved extensively and repeatedly to give rise to three present-day languages – Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish. All three languages are among what are known as Scandinavian, or North Germanic, languages, and are mutually intelligible. It is also for this very reason that Swedish has a lot of similarities with Norwegian and Danish. Here, we equip you with some basics like how to say hello in Swedish and more.
| English: | Good day | My name is |
|---|---|---|
| Swedish: | God dag | Mitt namn är |
| Pronunciation: | goo dahg | meet nahm nahr |
The most extensively used greeting is hej (pronounced like hey in English). It’s how you say hello in Swedish and can be used in both formal and informal settings. It is also acceptable to say hej hej or tjenare (pronounced SHEH-nah-reh) – or just tja – while greeting people informally. The more formal god dag can be used to say “good day” and god kväll (pronounced good kvail) to say good evening to older people and people in positions of authority.
Did You Know You Were Speaking Swedish?
Words in English from the Swedish language:
| tungsten | nickel | smorgasbord |
Swedish Alphabet
Explore this link for information on the Swedish Alphabet:
Learning Swedish
Know more than just how to say hello in Swedish with these resources:
- Swedish Vocabulary and Grammar
- Language Differences: English and Swedish
- English-Swedish Dictionary
- English-Swedish Picture Dictionary
- Children’s Songs and Rhymes from Sweden
- Project Gutenberg: Books in Swedish
- NASA: Voyager Audio Greeting in Swedish
Swedish Culture
Learn more about the Swedish culture with these excellent links:
- Sweden – Encyclopedia.com
- CIA World Factbook: Sweden
- Sweden: International Travel
Who Can You Talk To?
There are more than 13 million people who speak Swedish the world over – with a majority in Canada, Estonia, Finland, Gotland, Norway, Skåne, and the United States of America. Now, you can say hello in Swedish to over 13 million people!* *Source: Ethnologue: Swedish – (Register for free to access.)
Say Hello to the World was created by Lorri Mon.
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