Signification
Receiving payment for work.
Contexte culturel
The 'Law of Jante' makes it culturally taboo to brag about how much you earn. If you 'tjänar mycket pengar', it's better to be humble about it. Transparency is high. You can look up anyone's income, which makes 'tjäna pengar' a topic of public record but private conversation. The gender pay gap is a frequent topic of discussion in Swedish media, often using the phrase 'tjäna mindre' to describe women's salaries compared to men's. Youth culture values 'sommarjobb' highly. It's a rite of passage for teenagers to 'tjäna sina egna pengar' for the first time.
Drop the 'pengar'
In casual Swedish, you can just say 'Jag tjänar bra' (I earn well). Everyone knows you mean money.
Don't say 'göra pengar'
Unless you are a criminal printing money, avoid 'göra pengar'. It's a classic 'Swenglish' mistake.
Signification
Receiving payment for work.
Drop the 'pengar'
In casual Swedish, you can just say 'Jag tjänar bra' (I earn well). Everyone knows you mean money.
Don't say 'göra pengar'
Unless you are a criminal printing money, avoid 'göra pengar'. It's a classic 'Swenglish' mistake.
Salary Talk
If you ask a Swede 'Vad tjänar du?', they might feel uncomfortable. It's better to ask 'Vad tjänar en [yrke] i genomsnitt?' (What does a [profession] earn on average?).
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct form of 'tjäna'.
Förra året ___ jag mycket pengar på mitt jobb.
'Förra året' (last year) indicates the past tense (preterite).
Which sentence is correct?
How do you say 'I want to make money'?
'Tjäna' is the correct verb for earning money through work.
Match the Swedish phrase with its English meaning.
Match the pairs.
These are the four basic actions one can take with money.
Complete the dialogue.
A: Vad jobbar du med? B: Jag är lärare. A: ___ man bra som lärare?
We use 'tjäna' to ask about the salary of a profession.
Which verb fits the situation?
You just bought a lottery ticket and got 100 SEK.
Lottery wins always use 'vinna'.
🎉 Score : /5
Aides visuelles
Tjäna vs Vinna
Banque d exercices
5 exercicesFörra året ___ jag mycket pengar på mitt jobb.
'Förra året' (last year) indicates the past tense (preterite).
How do you say 'I want to make money'?
'Tjäna' is the correct verb for earning money through work.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are the four basic actions one can take with money.
A: Vad jobbar du med? B: Jag är lärare. A: ___ man bra som lärare?
We use 'tjäna' to ask about the salary of a profession.
You just bought a lottery ticket and got 100 SEK.
Lottery wins always use 'vinna'.
🎉 Score : /5
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNo, you must use 'vinna'. 'Tjäna' implies effort or service.
It is neutral and can be used in any context, from slang to business reports.
It is 'tjänade'. For example: 'Jag tjänade mycket förra månaden'.
It's a very old shortened form of 'Your servant'. It's related to 'tjäna' but used as 'Hi'.
Yes, 'tjäna pengar på' is the correct way to say you earn money from investments.
Yes, 'göra någon en tjänst' means to do someone a favor, coming from the same root.
'Tjäna' is to earn money; 'förtjäna' is to deserve something (like respect or a punishment).
You can say 'Jag försörjer mig' or simply 'Jag tjänar pengar så att jag klarar mig'.
It's old-fashioned slang. You'll hear it in old movies or from older people, often jokingly.
Yes, 'tjäna på' can mean to benefit from a situation. 'Du tjänar på att sova mer'.
Expressions liées
tjäna bra
specialized formto earn a good salary
tjäna ihop
builds onto save up/earn enough for something
tjäna på
similarto benefit from
förvärva
synonymto acquire/earn
