hej Sverige
/ˈhɛjː ˈsvɛrjɛ/word by word
To say "hello sweden" in Swedish, you use hej Sverige.
The phrase is a greeting addressed to the country of Sweden. The greeting component, hej, is the most common and versatile word for hello in Swedish and can be used in both formal and informal situations.
Which one should you use?
While hej Sverige is the standard greeting, other options exist depending on the time of day or level of familiarity. God dag translates to "good day" and is a formal way of saying hello, while God afton is a formal way of greeting someone specifically in the evening. For more casual settings, you might use Tjena (hi or hey) or Hallå (hello).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɛjː ˈsvɛrjɛ/
Did you know?
- While hej is a standard greeting for 'hello', it is also the most common way to say 'goodbye' in Sweden, especially when repeated as hej hej.
- The word Sverige literally translates to 'The Realm of the Swedes'. It is a combination of the word for the people, Svea, and the word for a kingdom or realm, rike.
- In Sweden, the gesture of a hand-wave often accompanies hej, but a formal greeting like god dag might be paired with a firm handshake and direct eye contact.
Examples in context
- Jag är så glad att träffa er, Fru Andersson. Hej!I am so glad to meet you, Mrs. Andersson. Hello!
- Jag vill bara säga hej Sverige.I just want to say hello Sweden.
- Skriv ett inlägg med texten: hej Sverige.Write a post with the text: hello Sweden.
Example conversation
Oscar is recording a video message to post online.
- OscarHej Sverige!Hello Sweden!
- EmmaDet var en bra början, Oscar.That was a good start, Oscar.
- OscarTack, Emma. Ska jag fortsätta?Thanks, Emma. Should I continue?
- EmmaJa, fortsätt med din hälsning.Yes, continue with your greeting.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hej, Sverige) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Sverige, hej, CC BY-SA 4.0.
