säl
/sɛːl/common gender
The Swedish word for seal is säl.
säl is a common-gender noun used to refer to the pinniped animal.
Meaning: pinniped (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛːl/
Did you know?
- In the Swedish Archipelago, there is a traditional belief that the säl could transform into a human to visit coastal villages.
- In Swedish, a 'seal' as in a stamp or a wax closure is called a sigill, so you cannot use säl for stationary or official documents.
- In Swedish, you must be careful not to confuse säl with sälja, which means 'to sell'.
Examples in context
- Sälarna lever vid den svenska kusten.The seals live along the Swedish coast.
- Har du sett den söta knubbsälen vid bryggan?Have you seen the cute harbor seal at the dock?
- Är späckhuggare och sälar besläktade?Are killer whales and seals related?
- Jag såg en säl i havet.I saw a seal in the ocean.
- Sälen vilar på ett isflak.The seal is resting on an ice floe.
- Det finns en säl vid stranden.There is a seal by the beach.
Example conversation
Erik and Emma are visiting a coastal area.
- ErikEmma, ser du sälarna där borta?Emma, do you see the seals over there?
- EmmaJa, vilken stor säl det är!Yes, what a big seal that is!
- ErikDe ser väldigt lugna ut.They look very calm.
- EmmaVi får inte gå för nära dem.We must not go too close to them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seal” translations and entries säl, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
