Common Swedish Idioms For Everyday Conversations
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Learning Swedish idioms will make your everyday conversations sound much more natural.
Swedes love to use colorful expressions that make absolutely no sense when translated literally.
You’ll hear these phrases daily at the supermarket, at work, and during fika.
Understanding them is a major step toward fluency.
Below is a list of the most common Swedish idioms you need to know.
Table of Contents:
Food-related Swedish idioms
Swedes have a deep appreciation for food and coffee.
Naturally, many popular idioms revolve around eating and baking.
| Swedish Idiom | Literal Translation | Actual Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Smaken är som baken | The taste is like the behind | Everyone has their own preference |
| Glida in på en räkmacka | To slide in on a shrimp sandwich | To succeed without putting in any effort |
| Kasta in handduken | To throw in the towel | To give up (this is identical to English) |
The phrase smaken är som baken is a slightly humorous way to acknowledge that people like different things.
The full expression often adds the word delad (divided) at the end to complete the rhyme.
You’ll hear this used when people disagree peacefully on personal preferences.
Jag förstår inte hur du kan gilla lakrits.
Smaken är som baken, delad!
Glida in på en räkmacka literally means sliding in on a shrimp sandwich.
Swedes use this to describe someone who gets an easy ride in life without working hard.
It’s often used to describe individuals who inherit wealth or get a job through nepotism.
Han pluggar aldrig men får alltid bra betyg.
Ja, han gled verkligen in på en räkmacka.
Animal-related Swedish idioms
Animals are another huge source of inspiration for Swedish expressions.
You’ll find that many of these phrases trace their roots back to Sweden’s historically agricultural society.
| Swedish Idiom | Literal Translation | Actual Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Ana ugglor i mossen | To suspect owls in the bog | To suspect that something is wrong |
| Köpa grisen i säcken | To buy the pig in the sack | To buy something without inspecting it first |
| Göra en höna av en fjäder | To make a hen out of a feather | To make a mountain out of a molehill |
Ana ugglor i mossen is a phrase used when a situation feels suspicious.
It means that you sense a hidden danger or a deceptive trick.
Han beter sig väldigt konstigt idag.
Jag anar ugglor i mossen.
Köpa grisen i säcken is a common warning when dealing with second-hand items.
It means making a purchase without verifying the quality of the item first.
Du borde provköra bilen.
Du vill inte köpa grisen i säcken.
Göra en höna av en fjäder perfectly describes someone who is overreacting.
It means taking a tiny, insignificant issue and blowing it completely out of proportion.
Det var bara ett litet misstag.
Sluta göra en höna av en fjäder.
Everyday Swedish expressions
Some idioms simply describe common human behaviors and social situations.
These are incredibly useful phrases for everyday casual conversations.
| Swedish Idiom | Literal Translation | Actual Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Slå två flugor med en smäll | To hit two flies with one slap | To kill two birds with one stone |
| Hålla tummarna | To hold the thumbs | To keep one’s fingers crossed |
| Få hjärnsläpp | To get a brain drop | To completely blank on something |
Slå två flugor med en smäll is the exact equivalent of killing two birds with one stone.
It describes achieving two goals with a single action.
Jag ska handla mat på vägen hem från gymmet.
Bra, då slår du två flugor med en smäll.
Hålla tummarna is an essential cultural expression in Sweden.
Swedes physically fold their thumbs inside their fists instead of crossing their index fingers for good luck.
Jag har en anställningsintervju imorgon.
Jag ska hålla tummarna för dig!
Få hjärnsläpp is the perfect phrase for language learners to memorize.
You can use this whenever you forget a word or briefly lose your train of thought.
Vad heter han nu igen?
Förlåt, jag fick precis hjärnsläpp.
