fru
/frʉː/
The Swedish word for Mrs is fru.
fru is a title used before a woman's name. For example, if a woman's name is Anna Svensson, she can be addressed as Fru Svensson. One can also address a woman using the title Fru followed by her husband's surname, such as Fru Andersson. In modern Swedish, you will most frequently encounter this title in formal written contexts, historical literature or when addressing someone of much higher social standing or age in very traditional settings.
Meaning: title before a woman's name (noun)
Which one should you use?
While fru is the traditional equivalent of 'Mrs.', modern Swedish often uses the woman's full name or just her first name, as fru can sound overly formal or old-fashioned.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
fru is a formal and dated term. It is much less common in modern spoken Swedish than it was in the past.
How do you pronounce it?
/frʉː/
Did you know?
- The title fru shares a common linguistic ancestor with the name of the goddess Freja, the Norse goddess of love and beauty.
- In the mid-20th century, Sweden moved toward a social custom called 'du-reformen', which largely replaced formal titles like fru with the informal 'you' in everyday speech.
- Because fru is considered so formal and dated, using it in a modern Swedish cafe might actually cause a sense of social awkwardness rather than showing respect.
Examples in context
- Är fru Jackson Toms mamma?Is Mrs. Jackson Tom's mother?This sentence is useful for asking about a relationship involving fru.Tatoeba #10597022 by morbrorper, translation #10597008 by CK
- Har fru Nilsson ringt än?Has Mrs. Nilsson called yet?This sentence is useful for asking if fru has performed an action.
- Vet du var fru Hudson bor?Do you know where Mrs. Hudson lives?This sentence is useful for asking about the residence of fru.Tatoeba #5710609 by halfdan, translation #5710604 by halfdan
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alice is introducing her teacher to Lucas.
- AliceHär är fru Andersson.Here is Mrs. Andersson.
- LucasHej fru Andersson, trevligt att träffas.Hello Mrs. Andersson, nice to meet you.
- AliceHon är min lärare i historia.She is my history teacher.
- LucasHon verkar vara mycket snäll.She seems to be very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mrs” translations and entries fru, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fru, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
