Anders: Hej!
Hi!
Markus: Hej!
Hey!
Servitrisen: Hej, välkomna! Vill ni äta här?
Hello, welcome! You do want to eat here?
Markus: Ja.
Yes.
Servitrisen: Sätt er, så kommer jag strax med menyn. Var så goda! Vad vill ni ha att dricka?
Please have a seat. I will soon be back with the menu. There you go! What do you want to drink?
Anders: Jag tar en cola. En stor.
I'll have a Coke. A large one.
Markus: Samma här.
Same.
Servitrisen: Två stora cola. Någonting annat?
Two large Cokes. Anything else?
Anders & Markus: Nej, det blir bra, tack.
No, we're good, thanks.
Anders: Vad ska du ta för pizza?
Which pizza are you having?
Markus: Jag kör alltid min specialare. Vesuvio med extra ost.
I always take my special one. Vesuvio with extra cheese.
Anders: Det låter gott men jag är sugen på någonting starkt. En Mexicana kanske. Försök att få servitrisens uppmärksamhet.
Sounds good but I crave something spicy. A Mexicana perhaps. Try to get the waitress' attention.
Markus: Okej, hon såg mig nu.
Okey, she saw me now.
Servitrisen: Har ni grabbar bestämt er?
Did you guys decide?
Markus: Ja, jag tar en Vesuvio med extra ost.
Yes, I'll have a Vesuvio with extra cheese.
Anders: Och jag en Mexicana. Kan jag få en till cola?
And I'll have a Mexicana. Can I have another Coke?
Servitrisen: Absolut. En Vesuvio med extra ost, en Mexicana och en cola. Kan jag ta ditt glas?
Certainly. One Vesuvio with extra cheese, one Mexicana and one Coke. Can I take your glass?
Anders: Visst.
Sure.
bestämma sig
decide
det blir bra
that's fine
en till
one more
försöka
try
glas
glass
grabb
lad
köra
go for
meny
menu
samma
same
servitris
waitress
specialare
special product
stark
strong, hot
strax
in a moment
sätta sig
sit down
uppmärksamhet
attention
vara sugen på
to be in the mood
välkommen
welcome
välkomna
welcome
We’ve put together a list for you with expressions that you would need when you go out to eat in Sweden. It consists of questions for the waiter or waitress and questions and critique from you. The list is more or less chronologically ordered, so in the beginning you have expressions for the beginning of your meal and so on:
Before the eat
| Vill du/ni äta här? | Do you (sing./plur.) want to eat here? |
| Ska du/ni äta här eller ta med? | Are you going to eat here or take with you? |
| Äta här eller ta med? | Eat here or to go? |
| Ett bord för X personer, tack. | A table for X people, please. |
| Kan jag/vi få se menyn, tack? | Can I/we have a look at the menu, please? |
| Vad vill du/ni ha att dricka? | What do you want to drink? |
| Vad vill du/ni ha att äta? | What do you want to eat? |
| Vad rekommenderar du? | What do you recommend? |
| Jag tar … | I’ll have … |
| Jag vill ha … | I would like … |
| Skulle jag kunna få … istället för …? | Could I have … instead of …? |
| med | with |
| utan | without |
| Smaklig måltid! | Bon appetit |
| Skål! | Cheers! |
| Kan jag få en/ett till, tack? | Could I have another one, please? |
After the meal
| Smakade det bra? | Did it taste well? |
| Ja, tack, det var gott. | Yes, thank you, it was delicious. |
| Ja, det smakade bra. | Yes, it was delicious. |
| Ja, maten var god. | Yes, the food was delicious. |
| Kan jag/vi få betala, tack? | Could I/we pay, please? |
| Kan jag/vi få notan, tack? | Could I/we have the check, please? |
| Vi betalar var för sig. | We are paying for oneself. |
| Vi betalar tillsammans. | We are paying together. |
| Det är jämnt. | It is even. Keep the change. |
You always get a so called “pizzasallad” for your pizza in Sweden. This is a white cabbage salad.
The word “tack” means “thank you” as well as “please”. It is only used in questions as “please” e.g. “Kan jag få betala, tack?” (Could I pay, please?) or requests “Ett bord för tre personer, tack.” (A table for three people, please.). As you see, “tack” is always placed at the end in Swedish which is different from English “please” which could turn up in the middle of a clause (Could I please pay?).
“Here you go” is “varsågod” or “var så god” and is the opposite of “tack” meaning “thank you”.
Example: Tack för hjälpen! – Varsågod!
Although the Swedes are a thankful people, you don’t have to put “tack” at the end of every question or request since a lot of the extra formal language has been dropped since the 50’s. It is enough if you say “Kan jag få betala?” and no one will bat an eye. “Tack” could make you sound like an old textbook so try to get a feeling for it and use it properly.