ha en bra dag
/hɑː ɛnː brɑː dɑː(ɡ)/word by word
To say "have a nice day" in Swedish, you use ha en bra dag. Wiktionary also lists ha det så bra.
Meaning: goodbye (phrase)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| ha en bra dag | /hɑː ɛnː brɑː dɑː(ɡ)/ (word by word) |
| ha det så bra | /hɑː dɛː soː brɑː/ (word by word) |
The phrase ha en bra dag is a direct way to wish someone a good day. A very common, idiomatic alternative used as a general parting phrase similar to "take care" or "have a good one" is ha det så bra.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ha en bra dag literally translates to "have a good day".
Which one should you use?
While ha en bra dag is a direct translation of "have a nice day", ha det så bra is a more common and idiomatic way to say goodbye, meaning "have it so well" or "take care".
How does it change in a sentence?
In Swedish, the imperative form ha is used to express a wish or command, just as it is in English.
How do you pronounce it?
/hɑː ɛnː brɑː dɑː(ɡ)/
Did you know?
- The word bra in ha en bra dag actually comes from the Italian word 'bravo'. It entered Swedish via Low German and French in the 17th century.
- In Sweden, people often shorten ha det så bra to a quick ha det when leaving. This abbreviated version is used in almost every casual parting.
- The word det in the phrase ha det så bra is a neuter pronoun. It functions as a dummy object, essentially meaning 'the situation' or 'life' in a general sense.
Examples in context
- Ha en bra dag.Have a nice day.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase ha en bra dag.Tatoeba #1996354 by Ribon, translation #30085 by CK
- Ha en bra dag vidare!Have a nice rest of your day!
- Tack, du med, ha en bra dag.Thanks, you too, have a nice day.
Example conversation
Emma and Erik are leaving a local coffee shop.
- EmmaHej då, ha en bra dag!Goodbye, have a nice day!
- ErikTack, samma till dig, Emma.Thanks, the same to you, Emma.
- EmmaTack så mycket!Thank you very much!
- ErikVi ses senare!See you later!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “have a nice day” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (ha, en, bra, dag, det, så) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bra, det, en, ha, så, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
