Sproken
B1Swedish·20 cards

Which Floor?

Asking for a floor, pressing for someone else, and Swedish floor numbering.

The floor negotiation, complete: the service question (vilken våning? ska jag trycka åt dig?), the destination catalogue (trean, bottenvåningen, källaren, garaget, översta våningen — samma som du), the direction check (går den upp? jag ska åt andra hållet), the special requests (vilken knapp är tvättstugan?) — and the neighborly coda: jag bor på samma plan som du.

A top-down view of marble staircase leading to a decorative wooden floor with geometric patterns.
Photo: Plato Terentev on Pexels
  1. 1

    Vilken våning?

    Which floor?

    Tip: The shortest version, said with a hand at the buttons

  2. 2

    Vilken våning ska du till?

    What floor do you need?

    Tip: Fuller, more polite version

  3. 3

    Ska jag trycka åt dig?

    Shall I press for you?

    Tip: åt dig = on your behalf

  4. 4

    Trean, tack.

    Third, please.

    Tip: Floors are spoken as ordinal nouns: ettan, tvåan, trean

  5. 5

    Bottenvåningen, tack.

    Ground floor, thanks.

    Tip: Marked BV on Swedish lift panels

  6. 6

    Entréplan.

    The entrance level.

    Tip: Common in offices and newer buildings

  7. 7

    Ner till källaren.

    Down to the basement.

    Tip: Where storage and the laundry room usually are

  8. 8

    Till garaget, tack.

    To the garage, please.

    Tip: Underground parking

  9. 9

    Översta våningen.

    Top floor.

    Tip: The highest floor

  10. 10

    Samma som du.

    Same as you.

    Tip: When they've already pressed your floor

  11. 11

    Den är redan tryckt.

    It's already pressed.

    Tip: Saving them the reach

  12. 12

    Går den upp?

    Is it going up?

    Tip: Checking direction before stepping in

  13. 13

    Är det ner den ska?

    Is this one going down?

    Tip: Word order puts ner first for emphasis

  14. 14

    Jag ska åt andra hållet.

    I'm going the other way.

    Tip: Explaining why you're staying put

  15. 15

    Kan du trycka på femman?

    Can you press five for me?

    Tip: When you can't reach the panel

  16. 16

    Vilken knapp är tvättstugan?

    Which button is the laundry room?

    Tip: Often marked T or in the basement

  17. 17

    Knappen tänds inte.

    The button isn't lighting up.

    Tip: tändas = to light up

  18. 18

    Ligger kontoret på fyran?

    Is the office on the fourth?

    Tip: ligga is used for where things are located

  19. 19

    En trappa upp.

    One flight up.

    Tip: Swedes count flights, so this is the floor above ground

  20. 20

    Jag bor på samma plan som du.

    I'm on the same landing as you.

    Tip: plan = level of the building