skål
/skoːl/
skål is the Swedish way to say cheers when making a toast.
skål is used as a toast when drinking. It is the most common and widely used way to say cheers in Swedish, suitable for both formal and informal settings.
Meaning: toast when drinking (intj)
How do you pronounce it?
/skoːl/
When do people say it?
When saying skål during a toast, it is customary to make eye contact with the people you are toasting.
Did you know?
- The word skål literally translates to 'bowl'. In ancient times, people drank from a shared communal bowl rather than individual glasses.
- In formal Swedish toasts, it is common to wait for the host to say skål before anyone else drinks.
- In some traditional settings, a formal toast involves a series of several skål repetitions, each with a different purpose or recipient.
Examples in context
- Skål!Cheers!This example shows how to use skål as a stand-alone exclamation.Tatoeba #765034 by herrsilen, translation #487006 by human600
- Skål för din födelsedag!Cheers to your birthday!
- Vi säger skål för sommaren.We say cheers to the summer.
Example conversation
Emma and Erik are having a drink together at a restaurant.
- EmmaHär är din drink, Erik.Here is your drink, Erik.
- ErikTack så mycket, Emma.Thank you very much, Emma.
- EmmaSkål för helgen!Cheers to the weekend!
- ErikSkål!Cheers!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cheers” translations and entries skål, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries skål, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
