Intervjun: Presentera dig själv och din erfarenhet
A job interview · a free Swedish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Hej, det är trevligt att träffa dig – mitt namn är Anna Lindström.
Hello, it's nice to meet you – my name is Anna Lindström.
Literal Hello, it is pleasant to meet you – my name is Anna Lindström.
A natural, professional greeting for a first meeting. 'Trevligt att träffa dig' is warm without being overly casual.
- 'det är trevligt att + infinitive' = it is nice to...
- 'träffa' means to meet (for the first time or in general)
Jag har arbetat inom marknadsföring i över fem år.
I have worked in marketing for over five years.
Literal I have worked within marketing for over five years.
Uses the present perfect to describe ongoing career experience – a key construction for talking about your professional background in Swedish interviews.
- 'har arbetat' = present perfect of 'arbeta' (to work)
- 'inom' = within/in (used for professional fields or sectors)
- 'i + time period' = for (expressing duration)
I min förra tjänst ansvarade jag för sociala medier och kundkontakt.
In my previous position, I was responsible for social media and customer contact.
Literal In my previous position, responsible was I for social media and customer contact.
Describes past job duties using the simple past. Note the verb-second (V2) rule: after the opening adverbial phrase, the verb comes before the subject.
- 'ansvarade' = simple past of 'ansvara' (to be responsible for)
- V2 rule: after a fronted phrase, verb precedes subject ('ansvarade jag')
- 'för' links 'ansvarade' to its object
Jag söker den här tjänsten eftersom jag vill utvecklas inom er bransch.
I'm applying for this position because I want to grow within your industry.
Literal I seek this position because I want to develop within your industry.
'Eftersom' introduces a causal subordinate clause and is slightly more formal than 'för att', making it well-suited to interviews.
- 'eftersom' = because (causal conjunction, slightly formal register)
- 'vill + infinitive' = want to...
- 'utvecklas' is a deponent verb (reflexive form with active meaning): to develop/grow
En av mina styrkor är att jag är bra på att samarbeta med andra.
One of my strengths is that I'm good at collaborating with others.
Literal One of my strengths is that I am good at to collaborate with others.
A standard formula for describing personal strengths. 'Bra på att + infinitive' is the Swedish equivalent of 'good at doing something'.
- 'en av mina + plural noun' = one of my...
- 'bra på att + infinitive' = good at (doing something)
- 'samarbeta' = to collaborate/cooperate
Jag har ibland haft svårt att delegera uppgifter, men jag arbetar aktivt på det.
I have sometimes found it difficult to delegate tasks, but I'm actively working on it.
Literal I have sometimes had difficult to delegate tasks, but I work actively on it.
Addresses a weakness honestly and constructively – a common interview scenario. 'Haft svårt att' literally means 'had difficulty to' and is a natural, humble phrasing.
- 'har haft' = present perfect of 'ha' (to have)
- 'svårt att + infinitive' = difficult to... (fixed expression)
- 'arbetar på' = is working on (ongoing, progressive sense)
Kan du berätta mer om vilka möjligheter till kompetensutveckling som finns?
Could you tell me more about what opportunities for professional development exist?
Literal Can you tell more about which possibilities to competence-development that exist?
'Kan du berätta om' is a polite, indirect way to ask for information – softer than a direct question. Asking about development signals initiative.
- 'kan du berätta om...?' = could you tell me about...? (polite request framing)
- 'vilka ... som finns' = which ... that exist (embedded indirect question)
- 'kompetensutveckling' = professional development (compound: kompetens + utveckling)
Skulle det vara möjligt att diskutera lönespannet för den här tjänsten?
Would it be possible to discuss the salary range for this position?
Literal Would it be possible to discuss the salary-range for this position?
'Skulle det vara möjligt att' is the most professionally cautious way to raise a sensitive topic like salary – a conditional frame that avoids sounding demanding.
- 'skulle det vara möjligt att + infinitive' = would it be possible to... (conditional politeness)
- 'lönespannet' = the salary range (compound noun in definite form: löne- + spann + -et)
- 'för den här tjänsten' = for this position
Jag ser fram emot att höra mer om nästa steg i processen.
I look forward to hearing more about the next steps in the process.
Literal I see forward toward to hear more about next step in the process.
A natural closing phrase to end the interview professionally. 'Ser fram emot att' is the standard Swedish equivalent of 'looks forward to'.
- 'ser fram emot att + infinitive' = looks forward to (doing)
- 'nästa steg' = next step(s) (no plural marker after 'nästa')
- 'i processen' = in the process (definite form with -en suffix)
Tack så mycket för din tid – det var verkligen inspirerande att träffas.
Thank you so much for your time – it was truly inspiring to meet.
Literal Thanks so much for your time – it was really inspiring to meet each other.
A warm, genuine closing. 'Verkligen' adds sincerity without sounding excessive. 'Träffas' is the reciprocal form meaning 'to meet each other'.
- 'tack så mycket' = thank you very much (fixed expression)
- 'det var + adjective + att + infinitive' = it was [adj] to...
- 'träffas' = to meet each other (reciprocal -s form of 'träffa')
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
tjänst
position / job
Jag söker den här tjänsten.
I am applying for this position.
Also means 'service' or 'favor' in other contexts; in job contexts always means position/post.
erfarenhet
experience (professional)
Jag har lång erfarenhet av projektledning.
I have extensive experience in project management.
Use for professional/acquired experience. Use 'upplevelse' for personal/lived experience.
styrka
strength
En av mina styrkor är kommunikation.
One of my strengths is communication.
ansvarade
was responsible for
Jag ansvarade för ett team på tio personer.
I was responsible for a team of ten people.
Past tense of 'ansvara'. Always paired with 'för' to indicate what you were responsible for.
kompetens
competence / skill
Vi söker dig med rätt kompetens för rollen.
We are looking for someone with the right skills for the role.
Appears in the key compound 'kompetensutveckling' (professional development).
motiverad
motivated
Jag är mycket motiverad att bidra till ert team.
I am very motivated to contribute to your team.
samarbeta
to collaborate / to work together
Jag gillar att samarbeta med olika avdelningar.
I enjoy collaborating with different departments.
lön
salary / pay
Kan vi diskutera lönen för tjänsten?
Can we discuss the salary for the position?
'Lönespann' = salary range; 'löneförhandling' = salary negotiation.
bransch
industry / sector
Jag har jobbat inom teknikbranschen i fyra år.
I have worked in the tech industry for four years.
utvecklas
to develop / to grow
Jag vill utvecklas i den här rollen.
I want to grow in this role.
Deponent verb: has a reflexive -s ending but an active meaning. Cannot remove the -s.
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Sara satt i väntrummet och tog ett djupt andetag innan hon klev in. Intervjuaren hälsade henne välkommen och bad henne berätta om sig själv. Hon förklarade att hon hade arbetat på ett techföretag i tre år och att hon nu sökte nya utmaningar. I slutet av samtalet frågade hon artigt om möjligheterna till kompetensutveckling, och intervjuaren log och svarade att det var precis den typen av fråga de gärna hörde.
Sentence by sentence
tog ett djupt andetag
took a deep breath
A natural Swedish idiom for calming nerves before something important. 'Andetag' = breath (compound: ande + tag).
bad henne berätta om sig själv
asked her to introduce herself
'Be + object + infinitive' = ask someone to do something. 'Sig själv' = herself (reflexive, third person).
hade arbetat
had worked
Pluperfect (past perfect): 'hade + supine'. Used here because the work happened before the moment described in the story.
sökte nya utmaningar
was seeking new challenges
Simple past of 'söka'. 'Utmaningar' (challenges) is a positive, ambitious word natural in interview contexts.
frågade artigt om
politely asked about
'Artigt' = politely. In Swedish, adverbs follow the verb directly; placing it here softens the act of asking.
precis den typen av fråga de gärna hörde
exactly the kind of question they liked to hear
'Precis' intensifies agreement. 'Gärna' = gladly/willingly — an important Swedish adverb expressing that something is welcome or preferred.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Present Perfect with 'har' for Career Narrative
In Swedish job interviews, the present perfect (har + supine) is used to describe experience that began in the past and is still relevant today, equivalent to 'I have worked' in English. The supine of regular Group 1 verbs ends in -at (arbetat, jobbat). Some verbs are irregular: 'ha' (to have) has the supine 'haft', which does not follow the Group 1 pattern. This tense signals ongoing relevance, making it ideal for describing your career so far.
Subject + har + [supine verb] + (object / time expression)
Jag har arbetat inom IT i sex år.
I have worked in IT for six years.
Vi har alltid prioriterat kundnöjdhet.
We have always prioritized customer satisfaction.
Hon har lett flera framgångsrika projekt.
She has led several successful projects.
Jag har haft ansvar för budgetplanering.
I have had responsibility for budget planning.
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Swedish: 'One of my strengths is that I am good at collaborating with others.'
Hint Use 'styrkor' for strengths and 'samarbeta' for collaborate.
Complete the sentence: 'Jag har arbetat inom marknadsföring i över fem ___.' (I have worked in marketing for over five years.)
Hint The Swedish word for 'years'.
Which sentence best expresses that you are applying because you want to grow in the industry?
Translate to English: 'Kan du berätta mer om vilka möjligheter till kompetensutveckling som finns?'
Hint 'Kompetensutveckling' literally means 'competence development'.
Rewrite using the correct past tense: 'I min förra tjänst, jag ansvara för sociala medier.' (Fix the verb form of 'ansvara'.)
Hint For completed past roles, use the simple past 'ansvarade', not the infinitive 'ansvara'.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
Make one about your own world
This is a ready-made capsule from our library. Sign up free to generate a daily Swedish capsule about any theme you choose, hear it spoken, and save the bits you want to keep.