min vän
/miːn vɛːn/word by word
The Swedish phrase for my friend is min vän.
The phrase refers to a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection and trust.
Which one should you use?
Use min vän when referring to a single friend, while mina vänner is used to refer to multiple friends.
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive pronoun min is used with singular common gender nouns like vän. To express the plural, use mina vänner.
How do you pronounce it?
/miːn vɛːn/
Did you know?
- The word vän shares a deep ancestral root with the English word 'win', as both stem from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to desire' or 'to love'.
- While min vän is a direct translation, Swedes rarely use it as a direct address to a friend. It can sound overly formal or even slightly condescending depending on the tone.
- In modern Swedish, the word kompis is often used instead of vän for casual acquaintances. A vän is typically reserved for someone with a much deeper emotional bond.
Examples in context
- Du är min vän.You are my friend.This sentence is useful for saying that someone is your friend using min vän.Tatoeba #3099435 by morbrorper, translation #370562 by saeb
- Han är min vän.He is my friend.This sentence is useful for saying that he is your friend using min vän.Tatoeba #1543842 by Tokeingah, translation #298009 by CH
- Alex är min vän.Alex is my friend.This sentence is useful for stating that a specific person is your friend using min vän.Tatoeba #10686553 by Pineapple, translation #7844789 by RobinvanderVliet
- Min vän heter Anders. Han är en fantastisk person att ha i mitt liv.My friend's name is Anders. He is an amazing person to have in my life.
- Jag träffade min kamrat på konferensen. Vi har arbetat tillsammans i flera år.I met my friend at the conference. We have been working together for several years.
- Ikväll ska jag träffa min kompis för bio och middag.Tonight, I am meeting my friend for a movie and dinner.
- Min polare hjälpte mig att flytta till min nya lägenhet.My friend helped me move to my new apartment.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea introduces Erik to someone else.
- LinneaDet här är min vän Erik.This is my friend Erik.
- ErikHej! Trevligt att träffas.Hi! Nice to meet you.
- LinneaErik är min vän från skolan.Erik is my friend from school.
- ErikVad roligt!How nice!
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (min, vän) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries min, vän, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
