The Swedish Language's Best Word: “A Symbol of Swedish Mentality”

In 2025, Språktidningen launched the search for the Swedish language’s best word. After more than 8,000 people nominated their candidates, a clear winner has been announced.

According to Anders Svensson, editor-in-chief of Språktidningen, “lagom” was by far the most nominated word, submitted more than ten times as much as any other word.

– Lagom is for many people a symbol of a type of Swedish mentality. For some, it is about striving for balance in life; for others, it’s about not standing out in a negative way, such as thinking only of yourself. The fact that the word is considered difficult to translate into other languages adds to the sense that lagom is something unique to Sweden and Swedish, he says.

Among the motivations, many note that the word represents something typically Swedish.

“So incredibly Swedish. Not exaggerated in any direction—just a perfect balance,” writes one person.

“An excellent word, considering the pointless extremism that dominates today,” says another.

According to Språktidningen, “lagom” has been attested in Swedish since the 17th century. In Samuel Columbus’s book En svensk ordeskötsel from around 1678, it is described as a typical Swedish word that reflects a mentality that is as Swedish as it is worthy of striving for.

– Lagom, according to his early definition, meant, for example, being “so generous that one is not wasteful”, “so helpful to others that one does not ruin oneself”, and “so humorous that one is not a fool”. Lagom was seen then, as it is now, as the right balance between extremes, says Anders Svensson.

Second and Third Place

Second place went to “allemansrätt”, followed by “fika”.

– Allemansrätt represents love of nature and the freedom to roam the forests and countryside. It is a right that many highlight as fundamental to Swedish society, says Anders Svensson.

– Fika is also seen as something typically Swedish. Many who voted for fika emphasize it as a welcome break in everyday life where people meet over a cup of coffee and pleasant conversation.

In fourth place comes “tillsammans” (“together”), a word that receives very different levels of appreciation depending on political affiliation. While 19 percent of Left Party voters think it is the best word, only eight percent agree among voters for the Moderates, Christian Democrats, and Liberals.

The List

1 Lagom: 27 percent
2 Allemansrätt: 18 percent
3 Fika: 12 percent
4 Tillsammans: 10 percent
5 Förlåt: 8 percent
6 Förgätmigej: 3 percent
7 Morgonrodnad: 2 percent
8 Ju: 2 percent
9 Kanske: 2 percent
10. Dagsmeja: 1 percent