bil
/biːl/common gender
The English word "car" is translated into Swedish as bil. Wiktionary also lists automobil.
Meaning: automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bil | /biːl/ | common gender |
| automobil | common gender |
The term refers to an automobile or a vehicle steered by a driver.
Which one should you use?
While bil is the standard term used in everyday conversation, automobil is a much more formal and technical way to say "automobile".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northern Sweden, the informal term kärra is sometimes used to refer to a car, often implying a simple vehicle or an agricultural one.
How does it change in a sentence?
bil is a common-gender noun. The definite form (the car) is bilen, the plural form (cars) is bilar and the definite plural form (the cars) is bilarna.
How do you pronounce it?
/biːl/
Did you know?
- The word bil is actually a loanword from Danish, despite being a foundational part of the Swedish vocabulary.
- While bil is the standard, if you are in a very rural part of Northern Sweden, you might hear someone call their car a kärra, which originally refers to a cart or a wain.
- In some Swedish slang, a very old or unreliable car might be disparagingly called a skrotbil, which literally translates to 'scrap car'.
Examples in context
- Min bil är ny.My car is new.This sentence shows the use of the form bil to describe ownership.Tatoeba #10661019 by Pineapple, translation #9118094 by carlosalberto
- Jag är i bilen.I'm in the car.This sentence shows how to use the form bil to indicate location.Tatoeba #893128 by Tximist, translation #718876 by CK
- Var är min bil?Where's my car?This sentence shows how to use the form bil when asking about possession.Tatoeba #2001554 by herrsilen, translation #1886602 by CK
- Kan ni parkera er bil längs gatan?Could you park your car along the street?
- Vi behöver fler miljövänliga personbilar i vår fordonsflotta.We need more environmentally friendly passenger cars in our vehicle fleet.
- Ska vi ta min kärra till affären?Shall we take my car (simple vehicle) to the store?
- 300 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea and Oscar are deciding how to get to the store.
- LinneaSka vi ta bilen till affären?Shall we take the car to the store?
- OscarJa, det är snabbare än att gå.Yes, it is faster than walking.
- LinneaVem kör min bil idag?Who is driving my car today?
- OscarJag kör, Linnea.I'll drive, Linnea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car” translations and entries bil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
