tårta
/²toːʈa/common gender
The Swedish word for cake is tårta or kaka.
Meaning: type of sweet dessert (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tårta | /²toːʈa/ | common gender |
| kaka | /ˈkɑ̂ːka/ | common gender |
Both words refer to a type of sweet dessert, but they are used for different varieties of baked goods.
Which one should you use?
Use tårta to describe elaborate, layered or cream-filled cakes, such as sponge cakes with frosting or birthday cakes. Use kaka for simpler, denser cakes like a pound cake or for small individual treats such as cookies and biscuits.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of tårta is tårtor, while the plural form of kaka is kakor. Both nouns are common gender.
How do you pronounce it?
/²toːʈa/
When do people say it?
While kaka is a general term for sweet baked goods, many specific items are categorized separately in Swedish culture, such as a kanelbulle (cinnamon bun).
Did you know?
- A prinsesstårta (princess cake) is so iconic to Swedish culture that it is often recognized by its distinct green marzipan covering.
- In Sweden, the tradition of fika often centers around a kaka or a cinnamon bun rather than a formal tårta.
- The word kaka shares its distant ancestry with the English word 'cake' and the Latin word 'coccus', both tracing back to a root meaning a 'ball-shaped object'.
Examples in context
- Jag tycker om tårta.I like cake.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for tårta.Tatoeba #11907100 by herrsilen, translation #253417 by CK
- Jag vill ha en tårta.I want a cake.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to have tårta.Tatoeba #4363933 by richke, translation #3825950 by CK
- Det är dags för tårta.It's time for cake.This sentence is useful for announcing that it is time to eat tårta.Tatoeba #3742829 by herrsilen, translation #2891641 by CK
- Kan du vara snäll och beställa en tårta till morgondagens fest?Can you please order a cake for tomorrow's party?
- Jag har bakat en chokladkaka, vill du ha en bit?I've baked a chocolate cake, would you like a piece?
- Jag skulle vilja köpa två bakelser till kvällens middag.I would like to buy two cakes for tonight's dinner.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea and Oscar are deciding what to buy for a birthday party.
- LinneaSka vi köpa en tårta till festen?Shall we buy a cake for the party?
- OscarJa, vilken sorts tårta vill du ha?Yes, what kind of cake do you want?
- LinneaJag vill ha en chokladtårta.I want a chocolate cake.
- OscarDet låter bra, vi köper den!That sounds good, let's buy it!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cake” translations and entries tårta, kaka, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kaka, tårta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
