Time and days in Swedish
Now, later, tomorrow, what time it opens and one moment please. 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
- Nunoo
- Now
- SenareSEH-na-reh
- Later
- Idagee-DAG
- Today
- Imorgonee-MOR-ron
- Tomorrow
- Ikvällee-KVELL
- Tonight
- När?nair
- When?
- När öppnar ni?nair URP-nar nee
- What time does it open?
- Ett ögonblicket UR-gon-blik
- One moment, please
- Minutermee-NOO-ter
- Minutes
- TimmarTIM-ar
- Hours
"Nu" means now and Swedes use it with full sincerity. "Precis nu" (precisely now) leaves no ambiguity. The famous Swedish trait of punctuality means "now" is not aspirational; it is literal.
"Vi ses senare" (see you later). "Om ett tag" (in a little while) is the softer short-horizon version. Unlike cultures where "later" means indefinitely, Swedish "senare" usually comes with a time attached or is genuinely followed up on.
I (in) + dag (day). Same logic: imorgon (tomorrow), igår (yesterday), ikväll (tonight). The i- prefix is the same time-anchoring particle as Danish i dag. Swedish and Danish share many structural similarities despite sounding quite different.
"Imorgon tidigt" (tomorrow early) for tomorrow morning. Swedish punctuality is real and expected; showing up late is genuinely noticed. Swedes arrive on time or slightly early for everything; "Swedish time" means the time stated.
Literally "an eye-blink".