polis
common gender
The English phrase "police" is translated into Swedish as polis. If unsure, use polis. Wiktionary also lists aina and shorta.
Meaning: local or general law enforcement agency (noun)
Ways to say it
| Swedish | Note |
|---|---|
| polis | common gender |
| aina | derogatory, slang |
| shorta | derogatory, slang |
The term refers to a local or general law enforcement agency.
Which one should you use?
polis is the common-gender singular form. The terms aina and shorta are both slang terms used to refer to the police.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The terms aina and shorta are derogatory slang terms.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to the police as a specific institution or the force in general, use the definite form polisen. If you are referring to individual police officers, use the plural form poliser.
Did you know?
- The derogatory slang term aina is a clipped version of the Turkish word aynasız, which literally means 'mirrorless'.
- The slang term aina is a linguistic relic of Sweden's multicultural urban dialects, specifically pulling from Turkish roots.
Examples in context
- Polisen letar efter Tom.The police are looking for Tom.This sentence shows how to use the word polis in the context of a search.Tatoeba #10713322 by Pineapple, translation #2541742 by CK
- Jag är på polisstationen.I'm at the police station.This sentence demonstrates the use of polis when mentioning a police station.Tatoeba #5799885 by suedenjin, translation #5799544 by Eccles17
- Sami räddades av polisen.Sami was rescued by the police.This sentence shows how polis is used when the police perform a rescue.Tatoeba #11474624 by Pineapple, translation #7229473 by OsoHombre
- Om du ser något misstänkt, kontakta polisen omedelbart.If you see something suspicious, contact the police immediately.
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Linnea are walking in the city center.
- LucasSer du en polis där borta?Do you see a police officer over there?
- LinneaJa, polisen hjälper en gammal man.Yes, the police officer is helping an old man.
- LucasDet var snällt av polisen att hjälpa honom.It was kind of the police officer to help him.
- LinneaJa, polisen gör ett bra jobb.Yes, the police are doing a good job.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “police” translations and entries polis, aina, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aina, polis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
