Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| hej! | |
| hallå | /haˈloː/ |
| hejsan | |
| tja | /ɕa/ (Sweden) /t͡ɕɑ/ (Finland) |
| tjena | /ˈɕeːna/ (Sweden) /ˈt͡ɕeːnɑ/ (Finland) |
These terms are used to greet people. hej! is the most commonly used informal greeting in Swedish and can be used in various situations. hallå is a casual greeting used in informal settings. tja is a very informal, slangy way to greet someone, similar to saying 'Hey' in English. tjena is a common colloquial greeting, often used as a casual 'hey' between acquaintances or friends.
Which one should you use?
While hej! is the standard informal greeting, hejsan is a slightly more playful or casual variation, often translated as 'hi there'. For a very informal or slangy tone, tja and tjena are used among friends. hallå is also used for casual greetings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The forms vary significantly in register. tja and tjena are colloquial and should be used among friends. hejsan is informal and playful. hej! is the standard informal choice. For formal situations, you should use God dag (good day), God middag (used as a formal greeting during lunchtime) or God kväll (a formal greeting used from late afternoon until night).
Did you know?
- In Sweden, greeting someone with hej is so universal that it is common to double it as hej hej when saying goodbye to friends or leaving a shop.
- The informal greeting tjena is actually a shortened version of tjänare, which means 'servant'. It originates from a formal phrase offering one's service to another.
- The greeting hallå was popularized by the invention of the telephone, much like the English 'hello'.
Examples in context
- Hej!Hi!This sentence is useful for a simple greeting with hej!Tatoeba #11526274 by ull, translation #2742244 by MTC
- Hej! Hur mår du?Hi! How are you?This sentence is useful for greeting someone and asking how they are with hej!Tatoeba #427049 by Cilyan, translation #30316 by Zifre
- God morgon! Hur mår du?Good morning! How are you?
- Hej! Vad händer?Hi! What's up?
- Inget särskilt, bara chillar.Nothing special, just chilling.
- Hej! Vad kul att se dig.Hi! It is great to see you.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Karl meet at a cafe.
- EmmaHej! Hur är det?Hi! How is it going?
- KarlBra, tack! Och du?Good, thanks! And you?
- EmmaDet är jättebra.It is very good.
- KarlVad kul!How fun!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hi” translations and entries hallå, hejsan, tja, tjena, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hallå, hejsan, tja, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
