Trevlig helg!
To say happy holidays in Swedish, you use Trevlig helg!
While the English phrase "happy holidays" is often used as a broad seasonal greeting, Trevlig helg! is most commonly used as a parting phrase on a Friday to wish someone a good weekend.
Meaning: holiday greeting (phrase)
Which one should you use?
The specific greeting used for Christmas is God jul!, whereas Trevlig helg! serves as a general way to say "happy holidays" or "have a nice weekend".
Did you know?
- The word helg is a cognate of the English word 'hallowed', as both derive from an ancient Germanic root meaning 'sacred'.
- In Swedish, the concept of a 'holiday' can be split between a 'weekend' (helg) and a 'vacation' (semester), meaning Trevlig helg! will never be used to wish someone a happy summer vacation.
- The adjective trevlig is a relative of the verb trivas, which means to 'thrive' or 'feel at home'.
Example conversation
Oscar and Alice are leaving the office on Friday afternoon.
- OscarNu går jag hem. Trevlig helg, Alice!I'm going home now. Happy holidays, Alice!
- AliceTack så mycket, Oscar!Thank you very much, Oscar!
- OscarSka du göra något speciellt?Are you doing anything special?
- AliceNej, jag ska bara vila. Trevlig helg!No, I'm just going to rest. Happy holidays!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries helg, trevlig, CC BY-SA 4.0.
