spöke
/²spøːkɛ/neuter
The Swedish word for ghost is spöke. Wiktionary also lists spökbild and vålnad.
Meaning: spirit appearing after death (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| spöke | /²spøːkɛ/ | neuter |
| spökbild | ||
| vålnad | /ˌvoːlˈnad/ | |
| gast | ||
| gengångare | ||
| dubbelgångare | /ˈdɵbɛlˌɡɔŋarɛ/ | |
| skugga | ||
| draug | ||
| själ | /ɧɛːl/ | |
| ande | /²anːdɛ/ | common gender |
The term refers to a spirit appearing after death.
Which one should you use?
vålnad is a more literary and formal way to say 'ghost' or 'specter' compared to the common spöke. Gengångare specifically refers to a person who returns from the dead to haunt the living, often used in folklore. spökbild refers specifically to a visual phenomenon, such as a ghost image on a photograph or a screen.
How does it change in a sentence?
spöke is a neuter noun. To say 'the ghost', you add the suffix '-et' to the neuter noun spöke. The plural form of spöke is spöken.
How do you pronounce it?
/²spøːkɛ/
Did you know?
- In Swedish, the word spöka can be used as a verb meaning 'to haunt', but it is also used colloquially to mean 'to act up' or 'malfunction', such as when a computer is spökar.
- In Swedish, a dubbelgångare is not just a lookalike, but a supernatural 'double walker' who is often considered an omen of death.
- The literary term vålnad actually shares an ancestral root with the Swedish word for 'care' or 'custody', vårdnad.
Examples in context
- Jag trodde att jag såg ett spöke.I thought I saw a ghost.This sentence shows how to express the idea of having seen a spöke.Tatoeba #2202121 by herrsilen, translation #1961261 by CK
- Vad skulle du göra om du såg ett spöke?What would you do if you saw a ghost?This sentence uses a conditional structure regarding seeing a spöke.Tatoeba #891109 by Tximist, translation #30579 by CK
- Spöket försvann plötsligt.The ghost vanished suddenly.This sentence describes the sudden disappearance of a spöke.Tatoeba #11908693 by herrsilen, translation #280727 by CK
Example conversation
Alice and Erik are watching a horror movie in their living room.
- AliceTror du att det är ett spöke i filmen?Do you think there is a ghost in the movie?
- ErikJa, jag är ganska säker på det.Yes, I am quite sure about that.
- AliceErik, det där spöket ser verkligen läskigt ut.Erik, that ghost looks really scary.
- ErikJag håller med, det är en läskig scen.I agree, it is a scary scene.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ghost” translations and entries spöke, vålnad, gast, gengångare, dubbelgångare, skugga, själ, ande, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ande, spöke, vålnad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
