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Swedish for Expats · Lesson 6 of 10

Getting Around — Transport & Directions in Swedish

Bus, train, metro, taxi — navigate Sweden's excellent public transport system with the right Swedish words.

Expat in Sweden  ·  10 min read
📚 Swedish for Expats — Course Progress
Lesson 6 of 10  ·  60% done — you are well on your way!
👋 From my experience: Sweden has outstanding public transport — especially in Stockholm. But the apps, signs, and announcements are all in Swedish. Once I learned the key transport words, commuting went from stressful to simple. The tunnelbana (metro) is actually a joy to use when you understand what's being announced.

Time to complete: 10–15 minutes  ·  Words learned: 18 transport and direction words

Types of Transport

🚌
Buss
Bus
🚇
Tunnelbana
Metro / Subway
🚋
Spårvagn
Tram
🚂
Tåg
Train
🚕
Taxi
Taxi (same word!)
🚲
Cykel
Bicycle
💡 Stockholm tip: Get the SL app (Stockholm's public transport). Everything is in Swedish but very visual. The word to know: Hållplats = stop/station. And Nästa hållplats = next stop — you'll hear this on every bus and tram.

Directions

⬆️
Rakt fram
Straight ahead
➡️
Till höger
To the right
⬅️
Till vänster
To the left
↩️
Sväng
Turn
📍
Här
Here
🗺️
Där
There

Key Transport Phrases

SwedishEnglish
Var är närmaste busshållplats?Where is the nearest bus stop?
Vilken buss går till…?Which bus goes to…?
Hur lång tid tar det?How long does it take?
En biljett, tack.One ticket, please.
Var ska jag byta?Where do I change (transfer)?
Är det här rätt tåg till…?Is this the right train to…?
Nästa hållplatsNext stop
Jag har gått vilse.I am lost.
Kan du visa mig på kartan?Can you show me on the map?

Asking for Directions — A Conversation

Lahiru: Ursäkta, var är tunnelbanan?
Excuse me, where is the metro?
Passer-by: Gå rakt fram, sedan sväng till höger vid det röda huset.
Go straight ahead, then turn right at the red house.
Lahiru: Hur långt är det?
How far is it?
Passer-by: Ungefär fem minuter till fots.
About five minutes on foot.
Lahiru: Tack så mycket!
Thank you very much!
Passer-by: Varsågod! Lycka till!
You're welcome! Good luck!
New words: vid = at/by · till fots = on foot · ungefär = approximately · lycka till = good luck

✏️ Quick Practice

1. How do you say "I am lost" in Swedish?
Your answer...Jag har gått vilse.
2. What is the Swedish word for metro / subway?
Your answer...Tunnelbana
3. How do you say "turn left"?
Your answer...Sväng till vänster.
4. What does "nästa hållplats" mean?
Your answer...Next stop

Your Challenge This Week

🎯 Try this: On your next commute, listen to the bus or tram announcements carefully. Try to catch the words you now know — nästa hållplats, rakt fram, hållplats. You'll be surprised how much you can already understand.

Coming Up — Lesson 7: At the Doctor

Go to Lesson 7 →