The short answer
The essential Swedish tools are hammare, skruvmejsel, tång, såg, borrmaskin and vattenpass. Describe a job by combining mäta, borra, skruva, spika or laga with the object and one clear request.
The basic toolbox
En hammare is a hammer, en skruvmejsel a screwdriver, en tång pliers and en såg a saw. A drill is en borrmaskin and a spirit level is ett vattenpass.
Add furniture, rooms and household objects from the Swedish home vocabulary guide.
| In Swedish | What it means | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Var finns skruvmejslarna? | Where are the screwdrivers? | Asking in a DIY shop. |
Measure, drill, screw and repair
The verbs follow the action: mäta means measure, borra drill, skruva screw, spika nail, såga saw and laga repair.
Words stick better when attached to a real job, such as building a raised bed while learning Swedish gardening vocabulary.
| In Swedish | What it means | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Jag behöver borra två hål i väggen. | I need to drill two holes in the wall. | Explaining the job you need to do. |
Ask for the right size in a shop
Learn lång, kort, bred, smal, stor and liten, then add a measurement in millimetres or centimetres. Passar den här? asks whether a part will fit.
Prices, quantities and dimensions depend on Swedish numbers. A photo of the old part helps when the exact noun escapes you.
| In Swedish | What it means | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Jag behöver en skruv som är tre centimeter lång. | I need a screw that is three centimetres long. | Specifying a measurement. |
Turn one task into speaking practice
Name the tool, say what you are about to do and check the result: Jag tar hammaren. Jag ska spika. Nu sitter den fast. The sequence practises both near future and present tense.
Change the setting by making decorations for a birthday in Swedish, then record the key words with the Svenska tutor.
| In Swedish | What it means | When you use it |
|---|---|---|
| Kan du hålla i hyllan? | Can you hold the shelf? | Asking for help while assembling something. |
Questions people ask
- What is the Swedish word for tools?
- Tools are verktyg. One tool is ett verktyg and a toolbox is en verktygslåda.
- How do you say screwdriver and drill in Swedish?
- A screwdriver is en skruvmejsel and a drill is en borrmaskin.
- Which Swedish verbs are useful for DIY?
- Learn mäta, borra, skruva, spika, såga and laga: measure, drill, screw, nail, saw and repair.
Know someone who has just moved here?
