While the Swedish language can be hard, for English speakers it is relatively easy compared to other languages. Of course, there are always exceptions, and the phrase “How are you?” in Swedish seems to be one of them. So how do you say how are you in Swedish, like a native Swede?
“How are you?” doesn’t directly translate, meaning they don’t say “Hur är du?”, which would be how (hur) are (är) you (du).
There are about 3 different ways you can say “How are you?” in Swedish, just like in English. For example, in English, we can say “How’s it going?”, “How’s it hanging?”, “Wassup?”. These could all be considered something to replace “How are you?”. So let’s look at the most popular ways to ask someone how they are.
How Are You? = Hur Är Det?
The most common way I’ve heard “how are you?” in Swedish is “Hur är det?” which translates to “How is it?”. Of course, this can depend on the region as well. This is most commonly heard in northern Sweden and areas of Stockholm.
How are you (feeling)? = Hur Mår Du?
Ok, I was actually mistaken early regarding this phrase! I think this may be because it depends on the region people are living in. In northern Sweden, people use “Hur mår du?” more to ask how someone is feeling (as that is the direct translation). However native Swedes do use this phrase to ask someone how they are. I don’t hear it as often as I hear “hur är det?”.
Wassup? = Läget?
This one I got recently. “Hur är läget?”, sometimes shortened to “läget?” is slang, that may be translated into something like “wassup?”. It is not something you would say at work, but more something you would say to close friends or when you are being really informal.
“Hur är läget?” literally translate as “How is the situation?”. See why it is more for informal situations?
How’s It Going? = Hur står det till?
This one I got from the Swedish Freak fan page on Facebook (thank you Rachel!). We have another way to say “How are you”, and this time it is “hur står det till?” This would be more like “How’s it going?” in English, but literally translates to “How does it stand?“
Remember there are tons of ways to learn Swedish for free, mostly thanks to the Swedish government and its efforts to teach immigrants to Sweden this amazing language.
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