#3 Taking a Taxi｜Swedish Daily Life Phrases
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#8 Making a Restaurant Reservation | Swedish Everyday Phrases
Haruno
Restaurants in Sweden can be particularly busy during weekends or evening hours, and making a reservation in advance is common practice.
When making a reservation, it is important to communicate details such as the number of people, the date and time, and any seating preferences. Providing this information clearly will help you interact smoothly with the staff.
In this article, I explain useful Swedish expressions for booking a table at a restaurant, indicating preferred times, and requesting specific types of seating.
Contents
Dialogue
Hej! Jag skulle vilja boka ett bord för tre personer imorgon kväll.
（Hello. I would like to reserve a table for three people tomorrow evening.）
Inga problem. Vilken tid passar er bäst?
（No problem. What time works best for you?）
Vid halv åtta, om det går bra.
（If possible, around 7:30.）
Det fungerar fint. Föredrar ni att sitta inne eller ute?
（That works perfectly. Would you prefer to sit indoors or outdoors?）
Inne, tack. Och kan vi få ett lite lugnare bord?
（Indoors, please. If possible, could we have a quieter table?）
Absolut. Då är bokningen registrerad.
（Certainly. Your reservation has been registered.）
1. Requesting a Reservation
A useful expression to start your reservation request is:
- Jag skulle vilja boka ett bord …
(I would like to reserve a table …)
The phrase “skulle vilja” is a polite way of expressing your intention, similar to the English “I would like to…”.
It is generally preferred over more direct phrasing when making reservations.
It is also helpful to clearly state the number of people (personer) and the date or time (i kväll / imorgon kväll / på lördag), so the staff can quickly check availability.
- Jag skulle vilja boka ett bord för tre personer imorgon kväll.
(I would like to reserve a table for three people tomorrow evening.)
2. Confirming the Time of Your Visit
When making a reservation, you will be asked to specify the time. The restaurant staff may ask:
- Vilken tid passar er bäst?
(What time works best for you?)
Here, “passar er bäst” means “is most convenient for you.”
You can respond by indicating your preferred time:
- Vid halv åtta.
(Around 7:30.) - Runt klockan sju.
(Around 7 o’clock.) - Så snart som möjligt.
(As early as possible.)
Using “vid” or “runt” allows you to express a time range rather than a strict time.
3. Indicating Your Seating Preference
In Sweden, many restaurants offer both indoor seating (inne) and outdoor seating (ute). Outdoor seating is especially popular during the summer.
The staff may ask:
- Föredrar ni att sitta inne eller ute?
(Do you prefer to sit indoors or outdoors?)
The verb “föredrar” means “to prefer,” and is commonly used when expressing polite preferences.
Examples of how you can respond:
- Inne, tack.
(Indoors, please.) - Ute går bra.
(Outdoors is fine.)
If you wish to be more specific, the following expression is useful:
- Kan vi få ett lite lugnare bord?
(Could we have a slightly quieter table?)
By using “lite lugnare” (a bit quieter), you express your request gently and politely.
4. Finalizing the Reservation
Once your reservation is confirmed, the staff might say:
- Då är bokningen registrerad.
(Your reservation has been registered.)
The word “registrerad” means “recorded” or “registered,” indicating that the reservation is now official.
Other similar expressions include:
- Bokningen är bekräftad.
(The reservation has been confirmed.) - Allt är klart.
(Everything is set.)
Summary
- Jag skulle vilja boka ett bord …
→ A polite expression for beginning a reservation request. - Vilken tid passar er bäst?
→ A common question used by staff to confirm your preferred time. - Föredrar ni att sitta inne eller ute?
→ An expression used to ask about seating preferences. - Kan vi få ett lite lugnare bord?
→ A polite way to request a quieter table.
