Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA |
|---|---|
| snälla | /ˈsnɛlːˌa/ |
| tack | /tak/ /tɑk/ |
| vänligen |
In Swedish, the word used for please changes based on whether you are requesting a physical object, making an emotional plea or writing a formal instruction. You can also use related verbs such as behaga, glädja or tillfredsställa to mean making someone happy or satisfying them.
Which one should you use?
Use tack when you are requesting an object or a service, such as ordering food or drinks. In these cases, it functions similarly to using 'thank you' in English. Use snälla when 'please' is used as an emotional plea or to emphasize a request for someone to perform an action. Finally, vänligen translates to 'kindly' or 'please' in a formal sense and is typically used for instructions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Vänligen is the formal way to say please and is most commonly found in written instructions or official notices. Snälla can be used politely to ask for someone's assistance or favor.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsnɛlːˌa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use snälla when ordering food or drinks in a restaurant. Instead, use tack for that context.
Did you know?
- If you use snälla while ordering a coffee, you might sound like you are begging for your life rather than just making a polite request.
- The word snälla is actually the definite form of the adjective snäll, meaning 'kind'. It is essentially a shortened version of a phrase like snälla du, which means 'kind you'.
- While English uses 'please' to soften almost any request, Swedish speakers often omit a specific word for 'please' entirely if the sentence is structured with 'kan du' or 'skulle du'.
Examples in context
- En kopp te, tack.A cup of tea, please.This sentence shows how to use tack when ordering a drink.Tatoeba #880565 by herrsilen, translation #240980 by CK
- En öl till, tack!One more beer, please!This sentence demonstrates the use of tack for requesting another beer.Tatoeba #3867494 by herrsilen, translation #3873517 by Lindoula
- Fyll i denna, tack.Fill this out, please.This sentence uses tack when asking someone to complete a task.Tatoeba #2094365 by herrsilen, translation #1860737 by CK
- Vänligen skicka mig dokumenten.Please send me the documents.
- Snälla ring mig tillbaka senare.Please call me back later.
- Är du snäll och stänger dörren?Could you please close the door?
- Snälla, kan jag få lite mer kaffe?Please, can I have some more coffee?
- 110 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alice is asking Oscar to help her with a heavy box.
- AliceKan du hjälpa mig, snälla?Can you help me, please?
- OscarJa, det kan jag.Yes, I can.
- AliceLyft den här sidan, snälla.Lift this side, please.
- OscarIngen problem, Alice.No problem, Alice.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “please” translations and entries snälla, tack, vänligen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries snälla, tack, vänligen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
