lycka till
/²lʏkːa tɪl/word by word
The Swedish phrase for "good luck" is lycka till.
lycka till is used to wish fortune on someone or as a way of providing encouragement. You can use it as a standalone exclamation, Lycka till!, just as you would in English. If you want to wish someone good luck with a specific task or activity, use the preposition med after the phrase.
Meaning: used to wish fortune on someone or as encouragement (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase lycka till literally means "luck to".
How does it change in a sentence?
When wishing someone good luck with a specific task or activity, use the preposition med after the phrase (e.g., lycka till med…).
How do you pronounce it?
/²lʏkːa tɪl/
Did you know?
- The word lycka shares an unexpected ancestor with the English word 'lock'. They both trace back to a Proto-Germanic root meaning 'to close' or 'to shut'.
- In Swedish, the word lycka does not just mean 'luck' but is also the primary word for 'happiness'.
- While lycka till is used for luck, Swedes use the word tur to describe the specific kind of luck that comes from random chance or a lucky streak.
Examples in context
- Jag önskar er lycka till.I wish you good luck.This sentence shows how to use the phrase lycka till to express a wish.Tatoeba #4458228 by herrsilen, translation #54468 by CK
- Lycka till med att försöka översätta denna mening som utgörs av precis åttiosju tecken.Good luck trying to translate this sentence with exactly eighty-seven characters in it.This sentence demonstrates using the phrase lycka till to wish luck on a specific task.Tatoeba #10200115 by morbrorper, translation #10199522 by espamatics
- Klienten valde min konkurrents sämre och dyrare varor av lojalitet. Lycka till med upphandlingen på ditt nästa stora projekt!The client chose my competitor's inferior and more expensive proposal out of loyalty. Good luck getting competitive bidding on your next big project!This sentence shows the phrase lycka till being used to wish luck on a future project.Tatoeba #7882304 by loovjo, translation #3576336 by nueby
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alice is about to take an important exam.
- LucasLycka till med provet!Good luck with the exam!
- AliceTack så mycket, Lucas.Thank you very much, Lucas.
- LucasDu kommer klara det jättebra.You will do great.
- AliceHoppas det, tack för peppen!I hope so, thanks for the encouragement!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “good luck” translations and entries lycka till, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (lycka, till) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lycka, till, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
