Getting around in Swedish
Left, right, the station, one ticket, where is the toilet. Play the ten Swedish words against the clock, with a note on how locals really use each one after every answer. All ten are written out below.
All 10 Swedish phrases in this lesson
- Var är toaletten?var air twa-LET-en
- Where is the toilet?
- Hur kommer jag till...?hoor KOM-er yah til
- How do I get to...?
- Till vänstertil VEN-ster
- To the left
- Till högertil HUR-ger
- To the right
- Rakt framrakt FRAM
- Straight ahead
- Härhair
- Here
- TågstationTAWG-sta-shoon
- Train station
- Bussbooss
- Bus
- FlygplatsenFLEWG-plat-sen
- Airport
- En biljett, tacken BIL-yet tahk
- One ticket, please
Signs read Toalett, WC, or the international symbols. D for Damer (women), H for Herrar (men). In Stockholm many public toilets require a small coin or have a keypad from a receipt; cafes generally provide the code with a purchase. Very clean by any standard.
Rakt (straight, direct) plus fram (forward). Swedish directions are clean and logical. Stockholm is hilly in parts and the central area is on islands; "rakt fram" sometimes has limits, but the phrase itself is always understood.
Stockholm Central Station (Stockholms Centralstation) is the hub for intercity trains. SJ (the state railway) runs comfortable high-speed trains to Gothenburg (under three hours) and Malmö. Book in advance for best prices.
The SL card (access card) or the SL app works on metro, buses, trams, and local commuter trains throughout Stockholm county. A single card covers all public transport with no zone complications for the inner city.
For SL public transport: the app is easiest. At stations, the ticket machines have English language options. Contactless card payment works on all SL systems; tap on, tap off.