There’s something about the Swedish language that makes taking frequent coffee and pastry breaks that much more permissible. And if that’s not enough to whet your appetite, just think of the meatballs and the lingonberries (both of which can be found at any typical Swedish dinner party). How are you even going to live without some rudimentary knowledge of Swedish food words?
Whether you’re in the market for breakfast (frukost) or trying to communicate your dietary preferences to your waiter, these basic vocabulary terms will serve as the meat and potatoes of your, well, meat and potatoes. Here is a guide to all of the Swedish food words you’re likely to encounter along your way, together with audio to help you nail your pronunciation.
Meal-Related Words
To eat — att äta
Dessert — en efterrätt
Vegetarian — vegetarisk
Vegan — vegan
Gluten-free — glutenfri
Lactose-free — laktosfri
Starter — en förrätt
Main course — en varmrätt
Breakfast — en frukost
Eat lunch — äta lunch
Dinner — en middag
Swedish Food Words
Fruit — en frukt
Meat — kött
Beef — nötkött
Pork — fläskkött
Poultry — fågel
Seafood — havets frukter
An ice cream — en glass
Sugar — socker
Bread — ett bröd
Cheese — en ost
Fish — en fisk
Swedish Drink Words
A drink — en dryck
To drink — att dricka
Mineral water — ett mineralvatten
Juice — en juice
Coffee — ett kaffe
Milk — mjölk
Lemonade — en lemonad
Wine — ett vin
Beer — ett öl
Tea — ett te
Tap water — kranvatten