Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| boll | /bɔl/ | common gender |
| klot | neuter | |
| kula | common gender |
In Swedish, the word used for a ball depends on its size, weight and material. While boll is the standard term for objects used in games or sports, other terms are used for more specific types of spherical objects. For scientific or mathematical contexts, such as referring to a geometric shape, the word sfär is used.
Which one should you use?
There are three primary words for a spherical object: boll, klot and kula. Use boll for standard balls used in sports or games, such as a football or tennis ball. Use klot to refer to a solid, heavy or large spherical object, such as a bowling ball or a globe. Use kula for small, hard spherical objects like marbles, metal balls or bullets.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word boll is a common-gender noun. Its definite singular form is bollen (the ball) and its plural form is bollar (balls). The word klot is a neuter noun, while kula is a common-gender noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/bɔl/
Did you know?
- The word klot is related to the German word Kloß, which refers to a dumpling.
- While kula means 'ball' or 'sphere', it is also the standard Swedish word for 'bullet'.
- Because kula refers to small and hard spheres, a Swedish speaker uses it for both a tiny marble and a heavy cannonball.
Examples in context
- Var är min boll?Where's my ball?This is useful for asking about the location of your boll.Tatoeba #10739813 by Pineapple, translation #2254581 by CK
- Han höll i en boll.He held a ball.This is useful for describing someone holding a boll.Tatoeba #4343774 by richke, translation #2162155 by FeuDRenais
- Vilken boll är minst?Which ball is the smallest?This is useful for comparing the size of different boll objects.Tatoeba #10881142 by Sprakify, translation #10881149 by Sprakify
- En fotbollA soccer ball
- En tennisbollA tennis ball
- Kasta bollen hitåt!Throw the ball this way!
- Vilken fin bollis du har!What a nice little ball you have!
- leka med bollenPlay with the ball
- kasta bollenThrow the ball
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maja and Lucas are playing in a park.
- MajaHär är din boll.Here is your ball.
- LucasTack, den är väldigt mjuk.Thanks, it is very soft.
- MajaSka vi kasta bollen till varandra?Shall we throw the ball to each other?
- LucasJa, det låter kul!Yes, that sounds fun!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ball” translations and entries boll, klot, kula, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boll, klot, kula, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
