haj
/ˈhaj/common gender
The Swedish word for shark is haj.
haj refers to the predatory fish. Metaphorically, en haj can refer to a person who is a predator or highly competitive, similar to the English usage.
Meaning: fish (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The indefinite form is haj. To say "the shark", use the definite form hajen. The plural form for "sharks" is hajars, while the definite plural "the sharks" is hajarna.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhaj/
Did you know?
- The Swedish word haj is a cognate of the English word 'haye', though 'haye' is no longer used in modern English to mean shark.
- While the English word 'shark' sounds heavy and low, the Swedish haj is pronounced in a way that sounds almost identical to the English word 'high'.
- The definite form hajen is often tucked inside complex compound words to create new terms that describe specific types of experts or ruthless characters.
Examples in context
- Tom är en haj.Tom is a shark.This sentence shows how to identify someone as haj.Tatoeba #3836790 by herrsilen, translation #2272871 by CK
- Han är en haj.He's a shark.This sentence uses haj to describe a person.Tatoeba #10686477 by Pineapple, translation #8476608 by CH
- Är den här buren hajsäker?Is this cage shark-proof?This sentence shows the use of haj in the compound word 'hajsäker'.Tatoeba #3836793 by herrsilen, translation #896806 by Scott
- Hajen är en imponerande varelse i havet.The shark is an impressive creature in the ocean.
- Var försiktig när du badar i havet! Det kan finnas hajar där, vet du.Be careful when swimming in the ocean! There might be sharks there, you know.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Oscar are watching a documentary about the ocean.
- EmmaTitta, där är en stor haj!Look, there is a big shark!
- OscarWow, den simmar väldigt snabbt.Wow, it swims very fast.
- EmmaTror du att hajen är hungrig?Do you think the shark is hungry?
- OscarJag hoppas inte det.I hope not.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shark” translations and entries haj, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries haj, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
