Public Transport Expressions
The fixed phrases you actually hear and use on Swedish buses and trains — from blippa kortet to ersättningsbuss.
Twenty phrases from the platform: hinna med and missa, blippa the card, ersättningsbuss purgatory — ending with the bus pulling away framför näsan på en.
- 1
att hinna med bussen
to catch the bus (make it in time)
Tip: 'hinna med' = to make it in time for; this, not 'ta bussen', is what you say when it's tight
- 2
att missa tåget
to miss the train
Tip: also used figuratively for missing an opportunity, as in English
- 3
att vara på rätt spår
to be on the right track
Tip: literally 'on the right rail' — works both literally and figuratively
- 4
att stiga av vid nästa hållplats
to get off at the next stop
Tip: 'stiga av' = to step off; 'stiga på' is to board
- 5
bussen är försenad
the bus is running late
Tip: 'försenad' = delayed; the standard announcement word
- 6
rusningstrafik
rush hour
Tip: literally 'rush traffic'; morning and late afternoon in Swedish cities
- 7
att byta tåg
to change trains
Tip: 'byte' = the change itself, as in 'ett byte i Stockholm'
- 8
att blippa kortet
to tap your card on the reader
Tip: 'blippa' is onomatopoeic modern Swedish for tapping a card or phone — everyone says it
- 9
ett periodkort
a monthly travel pass
Tip: literally 'period card'; the standard word for a season ticket
- 10
en ersättningsbuss
a replacement bus service
Tip: literally 'replacement bus' — runs when the track is closed; a fact of Swedish life
- 11
signalfel
signal failure
Tip: the single most common reason given for delays on Swedish rail
- 12
tåget är inställt
the train has been cancelled
Tip: 'inställt' = called off; note it is not 'avbrutet'
- 13
det är stopp i trafiken
there's a hold-up on the line
Tip: literally 'there is a stop in the traffic' — the standard phrase for everything grinding to a halt
- 14
bara ståplatser kvar
standing room only
Tip: 'ståplats' = standing place, as opposed to 'sittplats'
- 15
att planka
to dodge the fare
Tip: genuine Swedish slang for jumping the barriers without paying
- 16
biljettkontrollant
ticket inspector
Tip: informally just 'kontrollant'; 'en kontroll' is the inspection itself
- 17
tänk på avståndet
mind the gap
Tip: from the platform announcement 'tänk på avståndet mellan vagn och plattform'
- 18
sista biten
the last stretch of the journey
Tip: literally 'the last bit'; used for the final leg of any trip
- 19
att hinna med bytet
to make the connection
Tip: 'bytet' = the change; 'hinna med' again carries the sense of just making it
- 20
dörr till dörr
door to door
Tip: used when comparing total travel times
- 21
bussen går framför näsan på en
the bus leaves you standing there
Tip: literally 'the bus goes in front of one's nose' — it pulls away just as you arrive