nej tack
/nɛj tak/word by word
The English phrase "no thank you" is translated into Swedish as nej tack.
nej tack is the standard, polite way to decline an offer in Swedish.
Meaning: polite way of saying no (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of nej (no) and tack (thanks/thank you).
Did you know?
- While nej tack is polite, Swedes often use a single tack at the end of a sentence to mean 'please' when requesting something, rather than just saying 'thank you' after receiving it.
- If you are offered something and respond with only tack, it can actually be interpreted as a polite way of saying nej tack depending on the context and tone.
- The Swedish word tack is a direct linguistic cousin to the English word 'thank', both stemming from the same ancient Proto-Germanic root.
Examples in context
- Nej tack, jag är mätt.No thank you, I am full.
- Nej tack, jag vill inte ha mer.No thank you, I do not want any more.
- Nej tack, jag har allt jag behöver.No thank you, I have everything I need.
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are at a coffee shop.
- EmmaVill du ha mjölk i ditt kaffe?Do you want milk in your coffee?
- LucasNej tack, jag dricker det svart.No thank you, I drink it black.
- EmmaOkej, vill du ha en bulle också?Okay, do you want a bun too?
- LucasNej tack, jag är helt mätt.No thank you, I am completely full.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “no thank you” translations and entries nej tack, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (nej, tack) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries nej, nej tack, tack, CC BY-SA 4.0.
