pojkvän
common gender
The Swedish word for boyfriend is pojkvän. Wiktionary also lists kille and käraste.
Meaning: male partner in a romantic relationship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pojkvän | common gender | |
| kille | /²kɪlːɛ/ /²kɪlɛ/ |
common gender, informal |
| käraste | common gender |
The primary way to refer to a male partner in a romantic relationship is pojkvän.
What does it mean word for word?
pojkvän is a compound word consisting of pojke, meaning boy and vän, meaning friend.
Which one should you use?
While pojkvän is the standard term, you may hear kille used colloquially to mean boyfriend. For a much more intense, romantic and somewhat old-fashioned way to refer to a beloved partner, you can use käraste.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Kille is an informal way to say boyfriend, often used in casual conversation (e.g., 'min kille').
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of pojkvän is pojkvänner, and the definite plural form is pojkvännerna.
Did you know?
- The word kille is related to the Old English word 'earl', showing a distant ancestral link between a modern Swedish 'boyfriend' and an ancient English noble.
- Depending on the region or social circle, calling a partner min kille is often preferred over min pojkvän to avoid sounding too childish.
Examples in context
- Jag är Marys pojkvän.I'm Mary's boyfriend.This sentence shows how to identify yourself as someone's pojkvän.Tatoeba #1969793 by herrsilen, translation #1969240 by CK
- Gillar din pojkvän te?Does your boyfriend like tea?This sentence uses pojkvän to ask about a partner's preferences.Tatoeba #11282000 by Pineapple, translation #11282004 by Pineapple
- Min pojkvän är bloggare.My boyfriend is a blogger.This sentence provides an example of describing a partner's profession using pojkvän.Tatoeba #10714618 by Pineapple, translation #6481711 by mervert1
- Min kille är fantastisk.My boyfriend is amazing.
- Jag är tillsammans med min pojkvän.I am together with my boyfriend.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Karl and Maja are talking about their weekend plans at a cafe.
- KarlSka du träffa din pojkvän ikväll?Are you going to meet your boyfriend tonight?
- MajaJa, min pojkvän ska hämta mig.Yes, my boyfriend is going to pick me up.
- KarlVad trevligt, ska ni gå på bio?How nice, are you going to the cinema?
- MajaNej, vi ska bara äta middag.No, we are just going to eat dinner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries pojkvän, kille, käraste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kille, pojkvän, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
