Sproken
B1Swedish·20 cards

Running Into Your Boss

Eight floors alone with the person who decides your salary.

Twelve floors alone with the boss — the survival script: the safe openers (hur var helgen?), the unprompted status report (vi ligger i fas — vi ligger lite efter), the honest confession (jag har inte hunnit än), the meeting-booking pivot, the smooth topics (styrelsemötet, grattis till affären) — and the graceful escape hatches: inget brådskande, jag låter dig jobba vidare.

A young male athlete preparing to start running on an indoor track with a smile.
Photo: Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels
  1. 1

    God morgon!

    Morning!

    Tip: Safe with anyone before ten

  2. 2

    Ska du upp?

    Going up?

    Tip: Buys you two seconds

  3. 3

    Hur var helgen?

    How was your weekend?

    Tip: Monday default

  4. 4

    Mycket att göra?

    Busy week?

    Tip: Literally 'much to do', the natural phrasing

  5. 5

    Har du fem minuter senare?

    Do you have five minutes later?

    Tip: Booking a moment without ambushing them

  6. 6

    Jag skickar över det i eftermiddag.

    I'll send it over this afternoon.

    Tip: skicka över = send across

  7. 7

    Det är nästan klart.

    It's almost done.

    Tip: klar = finished, ready

  8. 8

    Vi ligger i fas.

    We're on track.

    Tip: ligga i fas = to be on schedule

  9. 9

    Vi ligger lite efter.

    We're a bit behind.

    Tip: The honest version

  10. 10

    Jag återkommer om det.

    I'll get back to you on that.

    Tip: återkomma = to come back to someone

  11. 11

    Förlåt, jag har inte hunnit än.

    Sorry, I haven't had time yet.

    Tip: hinna = to have time to manage something

  12. 12

    Kan vi boka ett möte?

    Can we book a meeting?

    Tip: Turning the corridor chat into a slot

  13. 13

    Har du en stund efter lunch?

    Do you have a moment after lunch?

    Tip: stund = a little while

  14. 14

    Hur gick styrelsemötet?

    How did the board meeting go?

    Tip: styrelse = board

  15. 15

    Grattis till affären.

    Congratulations on the deal.

    Tip: grattis till + noun

  16. 16

    Jag har tänkt fråga dig en sak.

    I've been meaning to ask you something.

    Tip: Softening an ask

  17. 17

    Inget brådskande.

    Nothing urgent.

    Tip: Lowers the stakes

  18. 18

    Jag låter dig jobba vidare.

    I'll leave you to it.

    Tip: Polite exit at your floor

  19. 19

    Vi ses på mötet.

    See you at the meeting.

    Tip: Clean ending

  20. 20

    Ha det bra.

    Have a good one.

    Tip: Neutral goodbye to a superior