Learning how to say dates in Swedish can be a useful skill, whether you’re planning a trip to Sweden or simply want to expand your language knowledge. In this guide, we will cover the formal and informal ways of expressing dates in Swedish. We will also provide various tips, examples, and regional variations if necessary.
Table of Contents
Formal Way of Saying Dates
When it comes to formal occasions or when speaking with people you don’t know well, it’s better to use the complete phrasing for dates in Swedish. Here is the general format:
[Weekday], [day] [month] [year]
Let’s break it down and take a closer look at each element:
Weekday
Swedish weekdays are similar to those in English, but they begin with a lowercase letter. Here are the weekdays in Swedish:
- Måndag – Monday
- Tisdag – Tuesday
- Onsdag – Wednesday
- Torsdag – Thursday
- Fredag – Friday
- Lördag – Saturday
- Söndag – Sunday
For example, to say “Friday, 21st of September 2022” in Swedish, you would say:
Fredag, 21 september 2022
Day
The format for the day is straightforward and usually without an ordinal indicator (e.g., “th”, “st”, “nd”). Here are a few examples:
- 1 – första
- 2 – andra
- 3 – tredje
For instance, to express “23rd of March,” you would say:
23 mars
Month
Months in Swedish are quite similar to English, but again, they begin with a lowercase letter. Here are the months in Swedish:
- Januari – January
- Februari – February
- Mars – March
- April – April
- Maj – May
- Juni – June
- Juli – July
- Augusti – August
- September – September
- Oktober – October
- November – November
- December – December
Year
When mentioning the year, simply state the four-digit number. For example:
2022
Now that we’ve covered the formal way of saying dates in Swedish, let’s move on to the informal way.
Informal Way of Saying Dates
Informally, you can simplify the date format, mainly by omitting the weekday. Here’s an example:
[day] [month] [year]
For example, to say “21st of September 2022” informally, you would say:
21 september 2022
As you can see, the only difference between formal and informal expressions is the exclusion of the weekday.
Regional Variations
Swedish is spoken in various regions, and some areas may have slight differences in how they say dates. However, the formal and informal formats mentioned earlier apply nationwide. Regional variations usually come in terms of local dialects or differences in pronunciation rather than changes in the date format itself. Therefore, the information provided in this guide should help you communicate dates effectively across Sweden.
In Conclusion
Learning how to say dates in Swedish is a valuable skill when interacting with Swedish speakers or visiting Sweden. By following the formal or informal formats we’ve discussed, you’ll be able to express dates accurately. Remember to practice and listen to native speakers to improve your pronunciation. Enjoy exploring the Swedish language and culture!
