Signification
To do something without asking.
Contexte culturel
Reflects the 'inte störa' (do not disturb) culture. It's a way to be helpful without being seen as intrusive. Essential for 'flat' hierarchies where employees are expected to take initiative without constant supervision. Often used in 19th-century novels to show the formal distance between characters of different social standings. Used ironically or playfully when someone 'takes over' a comment thread or a photo.
The Email Opener
Use 'Jag tar mig friheten att kontakta dig...' when emailing a recruiter or a potential business partner. It's the perfect formal icebreaker.
Watch the Plural
Never say 'ta sig friheter' unless you mean someone is being disrespectful or overstepping boundaries.
Signification
To do something without asking.
The Email Opener
Use 'Jag tar mig friheten att kontakta dig...' when emailing a recruiter or a potential business partner. It's the perfect formal icebreaker.
Watch the Plural
Never say 'ta sig friheter' unless you mean someone is being disrespectful or overstepping boundaries.
Match the Pronoun
Always double-check that your reflexive pronoun matches your subject (Jag -> mig, Vi -> oss). This is the #1 error for learners.
Benevolent Intent
Only use this phrase if you genuinely believe the other person will be happy with your action.
Teste-toi
Fill in the missing reflexive pronoun.
Vi tog ___ friheten att städa kontoret.
The subject is 'Vi' (We), so the reflexive pronoun must be 'oss' (ourselves).
Which sentence is the most polite way to tell a colleague you fixed a typo in their email?
Välj det bästa alternativet:
This option uses the polite idiom correctly and focuses on being helpful.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the phrase.
Grannen: 'Vem har vattnat mina blommor?' Du: 'Det var jag. Jag ________ att göra det när du var på semester.'
The action happened in the past, so the preterite 'tog' is required.
Match the sentence to the correct context.
1. Jag tar mig friheten att bifoga mitt CV. 2. Han tog sig friheter under dejten.
Singular 'friheten' is polite; plural 'friheter' often implies overstepping boundaries.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Singular vs. Plural
Banque d exercices
4 exercicesVi tog ___ friheten att städa kontoret.
The subject is 'Vi' (We), so the reflexive pronoun must be 'oss' (ourselves).
Välj det bästa alternativet:
This option uses the polite idiom correctly and focuses on being helpful.
Grannen: 'Vem har vattnat mina blommor?' Du: 'Det var jag. Jag ________ att göra det när du var på semester.'
The action happened in the past, so the preterite 'tog' is required.
1. Jag tar mig friheten att bifoga mitt CV. 2. Han tog sig friheter under dejten.
Singular 'friheten' is polite; plural 'friheter' often implies overstepping boundaries.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsNot necessarily. It can be used between friends to sound slightly 'fancy' or to emphasize that you did a favor. For example: 'Jag tog mig friheten att köpa med lite fika!'
Yes, but it's rare. 'Jag ville inte ta mig friheten att...' (I didn't want to take the liberty of...) is a very polite way to explain why you *didn't* do something.
'Drista sig till' is much more formal and implies that you are 'daring' to do something that might be rejected. 'Ta sig friheten' is more confident.
Almost always. It is usually followed by a verb. If you use it with a noun, you'd usually say 'ta sig friheten med [någonting]'.
No, the phrase itself is very polite. However, if the *action* you took was rude, the phrase won't hide that.
You can just write 'Tog mig friheten att...'. It's common even in informal texts.
No, you use 'tillåta sig' (allow oneself) if you are doing something for your own benefit, like 'Jag tillät mig att sova länge'.
In standard Swedish, yes. It is pronounced like 'sej'.
No, that is a literal translation from English and is grammatically incorrect in Swedish. You need the 'sig' (mig).
Yes, journalists often use it when describing a politician or public figure who has made a decision without consulting others.
Expressions liées
drista sig till
similarTo dare to / venture to
passa på
builds onTo take the opportunity
göra sig besväret
similarTo go to the trouble of
ta för sig
contrastTo help oneself / be assertive
tillåta sig
similarTo allow oneself
