What does ‘mvh’ mean in a Swedish message? What if an announcement includes ‘fr.o.m.’ or ‘t.o.m.’ alongside a date or time?
You may come across Swedish abbreviations in emails, news reports and everyday announcements. Abbreviations are established ways of expressing a concept, phrase or, for example, a unit of measurement in a shorter form. Some are formed from the initial letters of words, whereas in others only part of the word is written.
By learning to recognise common Swedish abbreviations, you can better understand both written and spoken Swedish. Once you know how to use abbreviations, you can avoid misunderstandings and communicate more effectively and fluently. You will also understand which abbreviations are appropriate in different situations, whether you are writing a formal text or sending a quick message to a friend.
This article introduces typical Swedish abbreviations that you might come across at work or in your free time.
Common Swedish abbreviations in written language
Many Swedish abbreviations are commonly used in different types of written texts, such as news articles, websites, emails and work-related texts. Once you can recognise the most common abbreviations, you will be able to read texts more quickly and understand their meaning more easily.
- t.ex. = till exempel (e.g., for example)
Du kan betala på flera sätt, t.ex. med kort.
= You can pay in several ways, for example by card. - bl.a. = bland annat (among other things)
Rapporten behandlar bl.a. kundnöjdhet.
= The report deals with, among other things, customer satisfaction. - osv. = och så vidare (etc., and so on)
Ta med pass, biljett, försäkringsbevis osv.
= Bring your passport, ticket, insurance certificate and so on. - p.g.a. = på grund av (because of, due to)
Mötet ställdes in p.g.a. sjukdom.
= The meeting was cancelled due to illness. - dvs. = det vill säga (i.e., in other words)
Kursen är intensiv, dvs. vi träffas varje dag.
= The course is intensive, i.e. we meet every day. - m.m. = med mera (etc., and more)
Butiken säljer böcker, tidningar, kort m.m.
= The shop sells books, magazines, cards and more. - s.k. = så kallad (so-called)
Det här är en s.k. hybridkurs.
= This is a so-called hybrid course. - obs. = observera (note, please note)
Obs! Sista anmälningsdagen är fredag.
= Note! The deadline for registration is Friday. - jfr = jämför (cf., compare with)
Jfr kapitel 3 för mer information.
= Cf. Chapter 3 for more information.
Although many of these abbreviations are well-established, they should be used sparingly in texts. In many cases, they can also be written out in full.
Abbreviations expressing time, quantity and number
Abbreviations are also commonly used in Swedish to express specific times, quantities or numbers in a text. You may come across the following abbreviations in timetables, notices, prices and other everyday texts.
- fr.o.m. = från och med (from, starting from)
Gäller fr.o.m. 1 september.
= Valid from 1 September. - t.o.m. = till och med (until, up to and including)
Öppet t.o.m. fredag.
= Open until Friday / until and including Friday. - ca = cirka (about, approximately), often used with a number
ca 20 personer
= about 20 people - ung. = ungefär (about, approximately)
Jag är där om ung. en timme.
= I’ll be there in about an hour. - st. = styck (pcs., pieces)
3 st. biljetter
= 3 tickets
Would you like to revise numerals at the same time? Check out Swedish numbers and numerals on our grammar pages.
Swedish abbreviations in messages and informal language
Not all Swedish abbreviations are part of formal standard language. In messages and other informal writing, words and phrases are often shortened to make writing faster and messages more compact.
- iaf = i alla fall (anyway, in any case)
Jag kommer iaf på fredag!
= I’ll be coming on Friday anyway! - mvh = med vänlig hälsning (kind regards)
Tack för hjälpen! Mvh Anna
= Thank you for your help! Kind regards, Anna - ist = i stället (instead)
Ska vi ses imorgon ist?
= Shall we meet tomorrow instead? - tsm = tillsammans (together)
Ska vi gå dit tsm?
= Shall we go there together?
It is important not only to recognise Swedish abbreviations, but also to know how to use them in the right context. Some abbreviations are suitable for professional and formal writing, while others are more naturally used in informal messages.
You can learn more Swedish vocabulary, grammar and real-life language with WordDive’s Swedish courses.
