eller
/ˈɛlɛr/
The Swedish word for "or" is eller.
eller is a conjunction used to connect two or more possibilities or alternatives.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛlɛr/
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, Swedes often end a sentence with eller?, turning the word 'or' into a tag question similar to 'right?' or 'don't you think?'
- The word eller is a cognate of the English word 'else', both descending from the same Proto-Germanic root meaning 'other'.
- The phrase eller hur? is one of the most common idioms in the language, meaning 'right?' and is used to invite the listener to agree with a statement.
Examples in context
- Tro det eller ej!Believe it or not!This sentence shows how to use eller in the expression "Believe it or not!"Tatoeba #12283114 by morbrorper, translation #12283144 by morbrorper
- Hyr eller äger du?Do you rent or own?This sentence uses eller to present a choice between two actions.Tatoeba #11907538 by herrsilen, translation #3412983 by CK
- Hos dig eller hos mig?Your place or mine?This sentence uses eller to present a choice between two locations.Tatoeba #2209845 by herrsilen, translation #1148389 by cntrational
- Vänligen välj ett alternativ: rött eller blått.Please choose an alternative: red or blue.
- Vill du ha en kaka eller något?Do you want a cookie or something?
- Den maten var jättegod, eller hur?The food was delicious, wasn't it?
- Han är riktigt duktig på gitarr, eller vad?He's really good at playing the guitar, isn't he?
- 148 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Erik are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- EmmaVill du ha pasta eller pizza?Do you want pasta or pizza?
- ErikJag vill ha pizza, tack.I want pizza, thanks.
- EmmaSka vi äta här eller hemma?Shall we eat here or at home?
- ErikLåt oss äta hemma.Let's eat at home.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry eller, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eller, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
