Booking an Appointment: Key Words
The core Swedish words for booking, confirming, moving and cancelling appointments.
In Swedish you don't book 'an appointment', you book 'a time'. These are the words you'll meet on the phone, in booking apps and in reminder texts from the hairdresser, the health centre and the garage.
- 1
en tid
an appointment
Tip: Literally 'a time' — the everyday word for an appointment. En-word.
- 2
att boka
to book
Tip: Regular verb, like most -a verbs: add -r for the present tense.
- 3
en bokning
a booking
Tip: The noun from the verb; you'll see it in apps and emails.
- 4
en ledig tid
a free slot
Tip: Literally 'a free time'. What you hope the receptionist has.
- 5
fullbokad
fully booked
Tip: Adjective. After 'it is' it takes a -t ending.
- 6
en väntelista
a waiting list
Tip: Compound: vänta (wait) + lista. Gender comes from the last part.
- 7
ett datum
a date
Tip: An ett-word, and the plural looks the same as the singular.
- 8
en förmiddag
the morning (before lunch)
Tip: The part of the day before noon, roughly 9–12.
- 9
en eftermiddag
the afternoon
Tip: efter (after) + middag (midday).
- 10
en frisör
a hairdresser
Tip: The person, but also used for the salon: 'at the hairdresser's' uses the definite form.
- 11
en klippning
a haircut
Tip: From 'klippa' = cut. What you book at the hairdresser.
- 12
en vårdcentral
a health centre
Tip: Your local GP clinic in Sweden. En-word, from 'central'.
- 13
ett besök
a visit
Tip: An ett-word. Used for doctor's and dentist's appointments.
- 14
en kontroll
a check-up
Tip: A routine check, e.g. a yearly check at the dentist.
- 15
ett återbesök
a follow-up visit
Tip: åter (back, again) + besök. Same gender as the last part.
- 16
en tandläkare
a dentist
Tip: tand (tooth) + läkare (doctor).
- 17
en bilverkstad
a car repair shop
Tip: bil (car) + verkstad (workshop). Spoken often as 'verkstan'.
- 18
en service
a car service
Tip: Borrowed from English and said almost the same way, but it is an en-word.
- 19
ett personnummer
a personal identity number
Tip: Your Swedish ID number — almost every booking asks for it.
- 20
att logga in
to log in
Tip: Particle verb: stress on 'in'. Booking apps usually want BankID.
- 21
att bekräfta
to confirm
Tip: Regular -a verb. You confirm a time, a booking or an order.
- 22
en bekräftelse
a confirmation
Tip: The noun. Often arrives by text or email.
- 23
ett sms
a text message
Tip: Said 'ess-emm-ess'. Ett-word.
- 24
en påminnelse
a reminder
Tip: From 'påminna' = remind. Typically the day before.
- 25
en kalender
a calendar
Tip: Where you put the time so you don't forget it.
- 26
att boka om
to rebook, move (an appointment)
Tip: Particle verb: 'om' = again. Stress on 'om'.
- 27
att avboka
to cancel (a booking)
Tip: av (off) + boka. Used for appointments; not for e.g. a contract.
- 28
en avbokning
a cancellation
Tip: The noun from the verb.
- 29
en avbokningsavgift
a cancellation fee
Tip: Compound with a linking -s-. Gender from 'avgift' (fee).
- 30
ett uteblivet besök
a missed appointment
Tip: Healthcare wording for not showing up. Adjective takes -t for an ett-word.
- 31
försenad
late, delayed
Tip: Adjective: add -t for ett-words, -e in the plural.