If you are learning Swedish, then you may have noticed that phrasebooks and beginner lessons do not explain a simple but important word: "please". This is not because Swedes don't know how to be polite, but because the term is translated with different words and phrases based on the context. In Swedish, the choice of phrase indicates the level of courtesy. This article will tell you how to say "please" in different situations.
Steps
Step 1. Order something at the restaurant
A simple but slightly more informal alternative is the term " tack"(equivalent of the word" thank you "). With this word it is as if I said thank you in advance, so it can be used after other instructions.
- En kaffe, tack ("A coffee please").
- Stäng dörren. Tack! ("Close the door. Thanks!").
Step 2. A more polite alternative is to use the construction "Skulle jag kunna få
.. "possibly in addition to the final" tack ". This phrase can be used for not very common requests, for example, when asking to change the ingredients of a dish in a restaurant.
- Skulle jag kunna få test de där skorna också innan jag bestämmer mig? ("Can I please try on those shoes too before I decide?").
- Skulle vi kunna få ris istället för potatis till varmrätten? ("Please, can I have rice instead of potatoes as a side dish?").
Step 3. Ask someone to do something for you
Of " kan du …" (or " kan ni … ", if you are addressing more than one person) followed by the infinitive form of the verb.
- "Kan du skicka saltet." ("Please pass me the salt", or "Could you pass me the salt please?").
- Another alternative, slightly more formal or when you make more important requests, is the use of the expression "Skulle du kunna …" followed by the verb in the infinitive. Replace "du" with "ni" if you are addressing more than one person.
Step 4. Ask someone to do something, or offer them a chance to do something for themselves
USA Var så god och … followed by the verb in the imperative.
- "Var så god och sitt" ("Please sit down" when addressing a person).
- If you are talking to more than one person, replace "god" with "goda".
- In Italian, this construction corresponds more or less to: "Could you please sit down?"; however, this expression is rather idiomatic in Swedish.
- "Var så god" corresponds to: "Please go ahead".
Låna gärna en katalog. (Roughly, "[We'll] gladly loan a catalog".)
Step 5. Accept an offer
Our "Yes thank you" corresponds to " Ja, tack" or " Ja, gärna"The latter is more emphatic and expresses sincere joy, which can be translated as:" Yes, thank you, I would be very happy! ".
Step 6. Ask someone to do something
If you need to order someone to do something, use " Var snäll och … "followed by the imperative. If you are addressing more than one person, use" Var snälla och …".
Var snäll och ta ner fötterna från bordet. ("Could you please take your feet off the table?")
Step 7. Begging for something
Do you want to borrow your mother's car and have to convince her? For requests like this, like: "Please let me … (do something)" we use the term " snälla", for example:" Snälla, låt mig låna bilen. "(" Please let me borrow the car ").
Step 8. Write signs
Usually, the language used in signals is more formal and detached. " Vänligen"(followed by the imperative) is the most common form.
- Vänligen gå ej på gräset. ("Please don't walk on the flower beds").
- This form is more frequent in the written than in the oral form.
- The term "vänligen" appears in some dictionaries, including Google translate, as a translation of the term "Please". However, don't use it for all translations because it's not correct at all, especially in the spoken form. Also pay close attention to the written form, because if used in the wrong place, it will look like you used an automatic translator.
Step 9. Write official instructions
The expression " Var god"(followed by the imperative verb) is used only in certain contexts, generally formal.
- You may hear "Var god dröj" ("Please wait for the line") during telephone conversations.
- "Var god vänd" (or the short form "V. G. V."; "Turn the page, please") is often used in forms to invite you to turn the page and enter other information.
