How Swedish emails work
Swedish emails are shorter and less formal than English or German ones, even when they go to an employer or a public agency. Everyone gets du, everyone gets their first name, and nobody is "Dear". The formal versions in this tool are polite enough for a kommun, a landlord or a new manager; the informal ones are for people you already know.
| Swedish | When to use it | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hej Anna! / Hej Anna, | Almost every email, formal or not | Hello Anna |
| Hej! | Unknown reader, organisations | Hello |
| Hej hej! / Hallå! | Friends and close colleagues only | Hi there |
| Hej alla! | A group, a team | Hi everyone |
| Med vänlig hälsning | The safe closing for anyone | Kind regards |
| Vänliga hälsningar / Mvh | Slightly warmer / abbreviated, very common | Best regards |
| Hälsningar / Ha det bra! | People you know | Best / Take care |
| Kram | Friends and family | Hugs |
Conventions that give a learner away
- No "Dear", no titles. Bästa Anna exists but sounds stiff. Herr Andersson or Fru Andersson in an email sounds like a parody.
- Du to one person, ni to many. Writing to a company or a clinic, ni is right because you mean all of them: Har ni någon ledig tid?
- Dates in Swedish order. onsdag 7 oktober, lower case, no "7th". In numbers, 2026-10-07. Avoid 07/10, which some readers take as July. Our numbers and dates converter writes any date out in Swedish.
- Times with kl. kl. 14.00, kl. 9, kl. 15.30. The 24-hour clock is standard in writing. In speech Swedes say halv fyra for 15.30, which our telling the time tool explains.
- Small words that carry politeness. gärna (gladly), tyvärr (unfortunately) and tack på förhand (thanks in advance) do the work that "I was wondering if you might possibly" does in English.
- Sv: is Re:. A reply's subject line starts with Sv: (svar), a forwarded email with Vb: (vidarebefordrat), and Ang. means regarding.
Useful phrases for any email
| Swedish | English |
|---|---|
| Tack för ditt mejl. | Thank you for your email. |
| Jag undrar om … | I wonder whether … |
| Skulle jag kunna få …? | Could I have …? |
| Passar det …? | Does … suit you? |
| Hör gärna av dig om … | Feel free to get in touch if … |
| Jag bifogar … | I attach … |
| Se bifogad fil. | See the attached file. |
| Ursäkta att det har dröjt. | Sorry it has taken a while. |
| Tack på förhand! | Thanks in advance! |
| Jag ser fram emot ditt svar. | I look forward to your reply. |
| Svara gärna med enkla ord. | Please reply in simple words. |
All 25 situations
Each situation has its own fields and notes on the Swedish conventions behind it.
Work
- Calling in sick (Sjukanmälan)
- Staying home with a sick child (VAB) (VAB-anmälan)
- Out-of-office reply (Frånvaromeddelande)
- Inviting colleagues to fika (Inbjudan till fika)
- Asking for a meeting (Be om ett möte)
- Replying to a meeting invitation (Svara på en mötesinbjudan)
- Apologising for a late reply (Ursäkta sent svar)
- Resigning from a job (Uppsägning)
Children and school
- Child sick: message to förskola (Sjukanmälan till förskolan)
- Child sick: absence from school (Frånvaroanmälan till skolan)
- Asking for leave from school (Ansökan om ledighet)
- Message to your SFI teacher (Meddelande till SFI-läraren)
Appointments
- Booking an appointment (Boka en tid)
- Rebooking an appointment (Boka om en tid)
- Cancelling an appointment (Avboka en tid)
Agencies and paperwork
- Asking the kommun or an agency a question (Fråga till kommunen eller en myndighet)
- Sending documents (Skicka handlingar)
- Requesting a certificate (intyg) (Be om ett intyg)
Home and neighbours
- Reporting a fault to the landlord (Felanmälan)
- Note to neighbours in the stairwell (Lapp i trapphuset)
Job hunting
- Short job application email (Ansökan via mejl)
- Following up after an interview (Uppföljning efter intervju)
- Asking someone to be your reference (Be någon vara referens)
Everyday
- Complaint about a faulty product (Reklamation)
- Saying thank you (Tack)
Got a letter you can't read?
Emails are the easy half. For the letters that arrive from Skatteverket, Försäkringskassan, the kommun or your landlord, our official Swedish letter decoder explains the words they use, with example letters you can tap word by word. If you want to write Swedish like this without a template, the Swedish phrases guide and our free lessons are the next step.
These templates are a writing aid. Check your workplace's, school's or landlord's own routines, which can require a phone call, a form or an app instead of an email. Facts on sick pay, VAB and consumer complaints were checked on 2026-10-07 against Försäkringskassan and the Consumer Sales Act (konsumentköplagen).
Frequently asked questions
How do you start an email in Swedish?
With Hej, followed by the person's first name: Hej Anna! or Hej Anna, are both normal, even to someone you have never met. To an organisation or an unknown reader, Hej! on its own is fine. Swedish has no real equivalent of Dear Sir or Madam, and Bästa Anna, a translation of Dear, sounds stiff to most Swedes.
How do you end an email in Swedish?
Med vänlig hälsning (with kind regards) is the safe, polite choice for any reader. Vänliga hälsningar is slightly warmer, Mvh is the common abbreviation, and Hälsningar or Ha det bra suit people you know. Between friends, Kram (hug) is normal.
Should I use du or ni in a Swedish email?
Du, almost always. Since the du reform of the late 1960s, Swedes say du to colleagues, bosses, teachers, doctors and agencies. Ni is the plural you, used when writing to a group or a company: Har ni någon ledig tid? Using ni to one person can sound old-fashioned or distant.
How do Swedes write dates and times in emails?
Day before month, no capital letters and no ordinal ending: onsdag 7 oktober, or den 7 oktober in a letter. Short forms use numbers in the order year-month-day: 2026-10-07. Times use the 24-hour clock with kl. in front: kl. 14.00 or kl. 14. A dot between hours and minutes is the traditional Swedish style, and a colon is also accepted.
Is it rude to write short emails in Swedish?
No. Swedish workplace emails are short, direct and friendly. Small talk at the start (Hoppas allt är bra) is optional. Getting to the point in two or three sentences is normal and polite.
Is the text sent anywhere?
No. The tool runs entirely in your browser. Names and dates you type are only used to fill in the text on your screen.