middag
/ˈmɪda/common gender
The Swedish word for dinner is middag.
middag is used to refer to the evening meal or the main meal of the day.
Meaning: evening meal (noun)
Which one should you use?
In English, the word 'dinner' can sometimes refer to both a midday meal and an evening meal. In Swedish, middag specifically refers to the main meal of the day, which is typically eaten in the evening, while 'lunch' is used for the midday meal.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word middag is a common-gender noun. To refer to a specific dinner, use the definite form middagen (the dinner). To talk about more than one dinner, use the plural form middagar (dinners). To refer to specific dinners in the plural, use the definite plural form middagarna (the dinners).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmɪda/
Did you know?
- The word middag literally translates to 'middle day' because it originally described the meal eaten at noon.
Examples in context
- Har Tom ätit middag?Did Tom eat dinner?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has already eaten middag.Tatoeba #4324106 by richke, translation #3956452 by CK
- Måste du äta middag?Do you have to eat dinner?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is required to eat middag.Tatoeba #11057880 by SilasNordgren, translation #8668031 by Mediabat
- Jag bjuder på middag.Dinner is on me.This sentence is useful for offering to pay for middag.Tatoeba #4326263 by richke, translation #2649038 by CK
- Ska vi äta middag på restaurang ikväll?Should we have dinner at a restaurant tonight?
- Jag äter oftast kvällsmat framför TV:n.I usually have dinner in front of the TV.
- Vi ska äta aftonmål hos farmor ikväll.We're having dinner at Grandma's tonight.
- Vi brukar äta aftonmål tidigt på fredagar.We usually have dinner early on Fridays.
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Erik are discussing their plans for the evening.
- EmmaNär ska vi äta middag?When are we going to eat dinner?
- ErikJag tror vi äter middag klockan sex.I think we are eating dinner at six o'clock.
- EmmaVad blir det för middag idag?What is for dinner today?
- ErikVi ska ha fisk till middag.We are having fish for dinner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dinner” translations and entries middag, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries middag, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
