Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| arbete | /ˈarˌbeːtɛ/ | neuter |
| jobb | /jɔbː/ | neuter |
The terms are used to denote labour, employment, occupation or a specific job. While both refer to work, they are used in different contexts: one refers more to the concept of labor or a specific task, while the other refers to one's employment. When you want to express the action of working, you can use the verbs jobba or arbeta or fungera if you mean to describe how something works or behaves when handled.
Which one should you use?
arbete is a general and more formal term that often refers to the concept of labor, a specific task or a piece of work such as a creative work or a school assignment. In contrast, jobb is more colloquial and specifically refers to a person's employment or a specific position.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both arbete and jobb are neuter nouns. When referring to 'the work' or 'the job' in a specific context, such as 'at work', you use the definite forms arbetet or jobbet. To say someone is 'at work', the idiomatic phrase på jobb (literally 'on job') is commonly used.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈarˌbeːtɛ/
Did you know?
- There is a historical distinction in Swedish between arbete, which comes from Germanic roots, and arvode, which stems from an Old Norse word for 'reward' or 'inheritance'.
- Even though jobb was borrowed directly from English, it has become more common in everyday Swedish speech than the more traditional term arbete when discussing one's career.
- In Swedish, the verb fungera is used to say that a machine or a plan 'works', whereas using a word related to 'work' like arbeta would sound like the machine is performing manual labour.
Examples in context
- Är du på jobb?Are you at work?This is useful for asking if someone is currently at work using jobb.Tatoeba #4441706 by richke, translation #4401103 by CK
- Vi ses på jobbet.I'll see you at work.This demonstrates how to say you will see someone at work using the definite form jobbet.Tatoeba #3838278 by herrsilen, translation #2547814 by CK
- Tom är på jobbet.Tom is at work.This shows how to state that someone is currently at work using jobbet.Tatoeba #8438572 by morbrorper, translation #680275 by Source_VOA
- Jag älskar mitt arbeteI love my work
- Vad är din sysselsättning?What is your occupation?
- Jag har ett bra jobbI have a good job
- Jag måste göra mitt arbeteI have to do my work
- Han är mycket engagerad i sitt arbeteHe is very dedicated in his work
- Jobbet är riktigt stressigt just nuThe job is really stressful at the moment
- 143 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Erik and Alice are talking about their professional lives.
- ErikVad är ditt arbete?What is your job?
- AliceJag har ett spännande arbete.I have an exciting job.
- ErikVar ligger ditt arbete?Where is your workplace?
- AliceMitt arbete ligger i centrum.My work is located downtown.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “work” translations and entries arbete, jobb, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries arbete, jobb, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
