Order anything by pointing in Swedish
I would like, this one, how much, the bill: survive any counter or menu. 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 11 Swedish phrases in this lesson
- Jag skulle vilja ha...yah SKOO-leh VIL-ya ha
- I would like...
- Den härden HAIR
- This one
- Vad kostar det?vad KOS-tar deh
- How much is it?
- Notan, tackNOO-tan tahk
- The bill, please
- Med kortmed KORT
- By card
- Kontantkon-TANT
- In cash
- VattenVAH-ten
- Water
- KaffeKAF-eh
- Coffee
- Teteh
- Tea
- Ölurl
- Beer
- Utan...OO-tan
- Without...
Literally "I would like to have". In practice "en kaffe, tack" is just as polite.
"Den här" for en-gender nouns, "det här" for ett-gender nouns. Pointing at something and saying "den här" covers all situations without needing to know the gender. Context makes it clear.
Payment in Sweden is almost universally by card or Swish (the mobile payment app). Almost no Swedish business is cash-only; some refuse cash entirely. Prices are always displayed.
Service is included in Swedish restaurant prices; tipping is not expected but rounding up is common. Swish is widely used for splitting bills. In more upscale restaurants a 10 percent tip is appreciated but never obligatory.
Sweden is one of the most cashless societies on earth. The card question at a Swedish checkout is theoretical: it is always yes. Swish (the mobile payment app linked to a Swedish phone number) is even more common among locals.
Increasingly rare. Riksbank reports consistently show cash usage at historic lows. Some churches, small independent markets, and kiosks still accept cash; but a visitor arriving with only cash may find some places gently unable to help.
Swedish tap water is among the purest in the world and perfectly safe everywhere. Sparkling water is "kolsyrat vatten" (KOHL-see-rat VAH-ten). Paying for bottled water in Sweden when tap water is excellent is unnecessary, though it is always available.
Fika, coffee with a cinnamon bun, is a daily ritual.
Strong beer is sold only at Systembolaget, the state liquor stores.
"Utan is", without ice.