vad
/vɑːd/
The English phrase 'what' is translated into Swedish as vad.
vad is an interrogative pronoun used to ask questions. It is also used in subordinate clauses, such as in the phrase vad det är (what it is).
Meaning: what? (interrogative pronoun) (pron)
Which one should you use?
While vad is the standard form for asking 'what', you may hear the shortened form va used as an informal interjection meaning 'What?' or 'Come again?' when you have not heard someone. Other ways to ask someone to repeat themselves include ha, hur sa or the standard vad sa du?
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
To ask 'What did you say?' formally or when addressing a group, you can use Vad sa ni? For a friendly, informal way to ask someone to repeat something, you can say Kan du upprepa det? The expression Vad är grejen med det? is an informal way to ask 'What's the deal with that?'
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/vɑːd/
Did you know?
- One version of vad is a cognate of the Old English word wedd, which is the ancestor of the modern English word 'wed'.
Examples in context
- Vad är de där?What are those?This sentence shows how to use vad to ask about the identity of objects.Tatoeba #2001534 by herrsilen, translation #1886819 by CK
- Vad gör vi nu?What do we do now?This sentence demonstrates using vad to ask about an action.Tatoeba #2037797 by herrsilen, translation #1886769 by CK
- Vad ser du nu?What do you see now?This sentence shows vad being used to ask about something being seen.Tatoeba #4328338 by richke, translation #3096055 by CK
- 1008 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are in the kitchen.
- LucasVad gör du?What are you doing?
- EmmaJag lagar mat.I am cooking.
- LucasVad ska vi äta?What are we going to eat?
- EmmaVi ska äta pasta.We are going to eat pasta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “what” translations and entries vad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vad, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
