With the advance of technology, more and more of us hide behind texting, Facebook, Instagram, and more.
We all want to respond to people on our own schedule, and at our convenience.
But guess what?
There will always come a moment when you get a phone call you have to take or need to make one yourself. You can’t refuse the call from the delivery guy, and you definitely won’t want to refuse the phone interview for your dream job.
It always comes down to making those phone calls.
As such, language learners will benefit from memorizing some Swedish phone call expressions, even in our SMS-based world.
But phone anxiety is bad enough in one’s native language, let alone in a foreign language like Swedish!
Just picture the delivery guy calling so you can help them find your home, and the only language they speak is Swedish.
Know how to start the conversation? Ask them to switch to text? Or even agree with them on a meeting point?
To give you a headstart, SwedishPod101 has compiled this handy list of 30 Swedish telephone call phrases. We’ve also provided two bonus sample conversations at the end of this article!
Table of Contents
- Picking up the Phone
- Saying Who You Are
- Stating the Reason for Your Call
- Asking to Speak to Someone
- Asking Someone to Wait
- Leaving a Message
- Asking for Clarification
- Ending the Phone Call
- Sample Phone Conversations
- Conclusion
1. Picking up the Phone
Swedes have a unique way of picking up the phone. They start the call by mentioning whose home you’re “at” (if you happen to be calling someone’s home). The basic expression is:
At [homeowner’s name].
Hos [homeowner’s name].
An extended version of this expression is to start with your first name:
[First name] at [homeowner’s name].
[First name] hos [homeowner’s name].
Besides these unique Swedish expressions, you can use others that are similar to those commonly used in English.
This magic word is as informal as it gets:
Howdy.
Hejsan.
And if you want something a little less informal, you can use:
Hello.
Hallå.
And for formal calls, use one of these two phrases:
Good day.
God dag.
[First name. / Family name.]
2. Saying Who You Are
This may not be relevant when talking with acquaintances or friends, but it’s a crucial part of formal phone calls or conversations with strangers.
This is [name].
Det här är [namn].
This is [name], from [company].
Det här är [namn], från [företag].
3. Stating the Reason for Your Call
Rehearsing this part to mastery is a must. You’ll want to clearly express the purpose of your call and leave no room for mumbling. Otherwise, your call will be pretty much pointless. Here are a few expressions you can use:
I’m calling to ask… / confirm… / make a reservation…
Jag ringer för att fråga … / bekräfta … / göra en reservation…
I’d like to speak to someone about…
Jag skulle vilja prata med någon om…
I’m returning your call.
Jag svarar på ditt samtal.
4. Asking to Speak to Someone
Sometimes, the person who picks up the phone is not the person you intended to call. In that case, there are a few ways you can ask to be handed over to the correct person:
May I speak to…?
Kan jag få tala med…?
Is [name] there?
Finns [namn] där?
Is Mr. Andersson in office today?
Är herr Andersson i tjänst idag?
Is Mr. Gustavsson available now?
Är Mr. Gustavsson tillgänglig nu?
5. Asking Someone to Wait
Especially in formal contexts, it’s common to have to put someone on hold for a couple of minutes. Here are three ways you can politely ask someone to wait:
Just a moment, let me check.
Ett ögonblick, låt mig kolla.
I’ll put you on hold for a second.
Jag låter dig vänta en stund.
Let me transfer you to his office. Stay on the line, please.
Låt mig koppla dig till hans kontor. Stanna kvar på linjen tack.
6. Leaving a Message
If the person you wish to speak to is not available, you may be able to leave a voicemail or have a message relayed to them. Here are some phrases you can use to leave a message in Swedish over the phone:
Please let him know…
Var god låt honom veta…
Can I leave a message?
Kan jag lämna ett meddelande?
Can you tell him to call me back at [phone number]?
Kan du be honom ringa mig på [telefonnummer]?
7. Asking for Clarification
As a non-native speaker making a phone call in Swedish, you may need to ask for clarification at some point. This is nothing to be embarrassed about! Below are a few expressions you can use to make sure you understand what the other person is saying.
Sorry, could you say that again?
Ursäkta, kan du säga det igen?
I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time hearing you. I think there’s a bad connection.
Jag beklagar, men jag har svårt att höra dig. Jag tror att anslutningen är dålig.
Could you spell your name for me, please?
Kan du bokstavera ditt namn åt mig är du snäll?
Just to double check…
Bara för att dubbelkolla…
8. Ending the Phone Call
Whether your call was a success or not, you should aim to leave a good final impression. Here are some ways you can end a conversation over the phone in Swedish:
Anything else I can help with?
Något annat jag kan hjälpa till med?
You’ve been very helpful. Thank you.
Du har varit till stor hjälp. Tack.
See you at ___ on ___.
Vi ses kl ___ på ___.
Have a great day.
Ha en bra dag.
It’s been a pleasure talking to you.
Det har varit ett nöje att prata med dig.
9. Sample Phone Conversations
Finally, let’s make sure you know how to use the phrases we covered! Here are two sample Swedish phone conversations, one informal and one formal.
Informal phone conversation
Two friends are setting up a time to meet for a Swedish fika on a weekend. Here’s a short conversation they’ve had on the phone:
Lars: Hallå.
Mikael: Hallå.
Lars: Hello.
Mikael: Hello.
Lars: Hur mår du?
Mikael: Bra. Jag studerar för en examen. Och du då?
Lars: How are you doing?
Mikael: Good. I’m studying for an exam. How about you?
Lars: Jag mår bra tack. Jag läser en bok.
Mikael: Trevligt.
Lars: I’m good, thanks. I’m reading a book.
Mikael: Nice.
Lars: Är du i stan under helgen?
Mikael: Ja, har du några planer?
Lars: You’re in town on the weekend?
Mikael: Yes, you have any plans?
Lars: Vill du gå på fika i helgen?
Mikael: Ja, varför inte! När?
Lars: Want to go for fika this weekend?
Mikael: Yeah, why not! When?
Lars: På eftermiddagen.
Mikael: Kan du gå ut klockan 2 på eftermiddagen?
Lars: In the afternoon.
Mikael: Can you go out at two in the afternoon?
Lars: Jag föredrar 3.
Mikael: Låter bra.
Lars: I prefer three.
Mikael: Sounds good.
Lars: Vi ses då.
Mikael: Vi ses då, hejdå!
Lars: See you then.
Mikael: See you then, bye!
Formal phone conversation
After they’ve set the time and place, one of the friends calls the fika café to reserve a table. Here’s the phone conversation he had:
Lars: God dag!
Receptionist: Fika Kafé Stockholm – God dag!
Lars: Good day!
Receptionist: Fika Kafé Stockholm – Good day!
Lars: Jag skulle vilja boka bord för två.
Receptionist: Visst, vi har slut på bord idag, men du kan boka för imorgon.
Lars: I would like to reserve a table for two.
Receptionist: Sure, we’re out of tables today, but you can make a reservation for tomorrow.
Lars: Jag skulle faktiskt vilja ha ett bord till på lördag.
Receptionist: Visst. Vilken tid?
Lars: Actually, I’d like a table for Saturday.
Receptionist: Sure. What time?
Lars: 3 på eftermiddagen, tack.
Receptionist: Låter bra. Och vad är ditt namn?
Lars: Three in the afternoon, please.
Receptionist: Sounds good. And what’s your name?
Lars: Lars Johansson.
Receptionist: Perfekt, Lars. Vi ses till helgen!
Lars: Lars Johansson.
Receptionist: Perfect, Lars. See you on the weekend!
Lars: Tack, jag ser fram emot det!
Receptionist: Hejdå!
Lars: Thanks, I’m looking forward to that!
Receptionist: Bye!
10. Conclusion
Congratulations for making it this far.
It’s safe to say that you’re now armed with enough Swedish phone call phrases to take care of your day-to-day business. You won’t have to be all shaky on your next call or worry as much about what to say next.
Are there any other phone phrases you need to memorize or situations you’d like to learn how to handle? Let us know in the comments!
As long as you’re conversing with an understanding native speaker, mastering even just a few of the expressions here will be enough to help you get your point across.
But honestly, why not learn even more useful Swedish phrases? You might want to learn how to give directions, talk about the weather (the number-one topic for small talk in Sweden), or even talk about your day in Swedish.
Considering Swedes’ “cold” culture, learning more of their language will only make it easier for you to break the ice and join any social circles around you.
Wondering where to start?
Look no further than SwedishPod101.
Our website provides a full range of digital lessons to help you go from beginner to master in record time.
This is possible thanks to the proven, up-to-date learning systems and features incorporated within our platform: slowed-down audio, line-by-line vocabulary breakdowns, pronunciation comparison tools, and more.
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Lyckligt lärande!
Happy learning!
