Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hej | /ˈhɛjː/ | |
| hallå | /haˈloː/ | |
| tjena | /ˈɕeːna/ (Sweden) /ˈt͡ɕeːnɑ/ (Finland) |
|
| hejsan | informal | |
| tja | /ɕa/ (Sweden) /t͡ɕɑ/ (Finland) |
Swedish has several ways to express a greeting depending on whether you are simply saying hello or trying to get someone's attention.
Which one should you use?
While hej is the standard greeting, hallå is primarily used to get someone's attention or when answering the telephone. Hejsan is a friendly, slightly more upbeat and informal variation of hej. Tjena and its shortened version tja are much more casual and used among friends. Tja is a shortened, even more casual version of tjena used in spoken language.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Hej is the most common greeting and is versatile enough to be used in both formal and informal situations. For a more formal greeting, you can use goddag (good day). Välkommen (welcome) is a suitable formal greeting when welcoming guests or addressing a group. For informal situations, you can use hejsan, which is playful or the colloquial forms tjena and tja when speaking with friends. Hallå is also considered an informal way to say hello.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the southern parts of Sweden, people often say tjenare as an informal greeting.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɛjː/
Did you know?
- Swedes often double the greeting hej hej when saying goodbye. While a single hej starts a conversation, the repetition signals the end of it.
- The greeting tjena is actually a clipped version of tjänare, which means 'servant'. Historically, it was a way of saying 'your servant', similar to how 'your servant' was once used in formal English greetings.
- Using hallå to greet someone in person can sometimes come across as slightly aggressive or impatient, as it is often used to demand attention.
Examples in context
- Hallå? Är du där?Hello? Are you still here?This example shows how to use hallå to check if someone is present.Tatoeba #4159684 by richke, translation #1878 by brauliobezerra
- Hallå! Hör du mig?Hello! Can you hear me?This example shows how to use hallå to see if someone can hear you.Tatoeba #3122159 by herrsilen, translation #4644966 by ProfessorGiraffe
- Hej Meg, hur är det?Hello, Meg, how are things?This example shows a standard greeting using hej.Tatoeba #12109031 by johanrhg, translation #894771 by pauldhunt
- Goddag, trevligt att träffas.Good day, nice to meet you.
- Tja, vad händer?Hey, what's up?
- Hallå, hur är läget?Hi, how's it going?
- Hejsan grabbar! Länge sedan sist.Hey guys! Long time no see.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maja and Erik meet in a hallway at a cafe.
- MajaHej, Erik!Hello, Erik!
- ErikHej, Maja. Hur är det?Hello, Maja. How are you?
- MajaDet är bra, tack.It is good, thanks.
- ErikVad kul att höra!That is great to hear!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hello” translations and entries hej, hallå, tjena, hejsan, tja, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hallå, hej, hejsan, tjena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
