Ways to say it
| Swedish | Note |
|---|---|
| fart | common gender |
| hastighet | common gender |
Both words refer to the rate of motion. You can use the related verb phrase köra fort to say 'to go fast' or the phrase köra för fort to mean 'to exceed the speed limit'. If you wish to describe an object as 'fast' using an adjective instead of a noun, use snabb.
Which one should you use?
fart is the more common, everyday word used to describe how fast something is moving, often used in idiomatic expressions like med full fart (at full speed).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The compound noun for 'speed limit' is formed by combining hastighet (speed) and begränsning (limitation) into hastighetsbegränsning.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that fart is a false friend for English speakers. While it means 'speed' in Swedish, it is a homonym for a vulgar English word. In Swedish, it is used very frequently in everyday speech without any sexual connotation.
Did you know?
- The word fart has a distant relative in English, the word 'fare' as seen in 'wayfarer' or 'thoroughfare', both stemming from the same Germanic root.
- A farthinder is the Swedish word for a speed bump, which literally translates to a 'speed obstacle'.
- The phrase med full fart is often used as a metaphor to describe an event that is 'in full swing', regardless of whether anything is physically moving.
Examples in context
- Tom sprang med full fart.Tom ran at full speed.This sentence shows the use of fart in an idiomatic expression.Tatoeba #4333647 by richke, translation #3056611 by WestofEden
- Han räknade ut ljusets hastighet.He calculated the speed of light.Tatoeba #912922 by Tximist, translation #296235 by CK
- Det finns ingen hastighetsbegränsning.There's no speed limit.This sentence shows how hastighet is used within the compound noun for 'speed limit'.Tatoeba #4333646 by richke, translation #2300595 by Hybrid
- För att undvika böter bör du köra under tillåten hastighet.To avoid fines, you should drive below the allowed speed.
- Hastigheten på internetuppkopplingen är otroligt snabb här.The speed of the internet connection is incredibly fast here.
- Wow, vilken fart du har på cykeln!Wow, you're riding your bike at such a speed!
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Linnea and Erik are talking about a car trip.
- LinneaHade bilen hög fart på motorvägen?Did the car have a high speed on the highway?
- ErikJa, men vi körde försiktigt.Yes, but we drove carefully.
- LinneaDet är farligt med för hög fart.It is dangerous with too much speed.
- ErikJag håller med dig, Linnea.I agree with you, Linnea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “speed” translations and entries fart, hastighet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fart, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
