Your Swedish doctor introduces herself as Anna, your professor uses only his first name, and official letters address you as du. Here is where that comes from, where titles still matter, and what to make of the waiter who calls you ni.
When you need this
You are about to email a Swedish professor, landlord or official and wonder whether “Dear Dr Lindqvist” is right. A nurse just introduced herself by first name and you don’t know whether to answer “Nurse” or “Doctor”. A waiter called you ni, and you can’t tell whether that was cold or polite. Or your textbook says ni is “the polite form”, and every Swede you meet says du.
From titles to du
Swedish has two words for “you”. Du is the singular, informal form. Ni is the plural, and it used to work as a formal singular too, the way Sie does in German or vous in French.
The trouble was that in Swedish it never worked well. According to Isof, the state language agency, ni said to one person could sound condescending. Swedes had no address word that everyone accepted as both polite and neutral. So they talked around the problem, using the third person and a title:
| Before the 1960s | Today |
|---|---|
| “Would Director Andersson see whether the director has time for a meeting?” | “Hej Lars, do you have time for a meeting?” |
| “What does my gentleman wish?” (a shop assistant to a customer) | “Hej! What can I get you?” |
| “Can auntie tell me the time?” (a child to an unrelated woman) | “Excuse me, do you know what time it is?” |
Children called unrelated adults tant (auntie) and farbror (uncle). Adults juggled titles, surnames and roundabout phrasing to avoid saying “you” at all.
Not a law, a landslide
The general switch to du began in the 1960s. Isof points to one symbolic moment. In 1967 Bror Rexed took over as director-general of Medicinalstyrelsen, the national medical board of the time. He told his staff he would like them to call him du, and hoped to do the same with them. The press noticed, and the habit spread so fast that Isof says the change can be considered complete during the 1970s.
The word “reform” misleads. Isof is explicit that this was “ingen organiserad reform”, no organized reform, but a gradual process. It was seen as part of a wider democratization of society, and it ran alongside rapid urbanization. No law ever told Swedes how to address each other, and none does today.
Government agencies followed in writing. Many began addressing citizens as du in letters at the end of the 1960s. The language law of 2009 now requires public-sector language to be “vårdat, enkelt och begripligt”, careful, simple and comprehensible. It says nothing about du. The detail sits in the public sector’s shared style guide, Myndigheternas skrivregler, published by Språkrådet:
| Edition | What it tells agencies |
|---|---|
| 7th edition, 2009 | Agencies may choose du (rather than Du) or Ni in decisions to a single citizen; general information is “now as a rule” du |
| 8th edition, 2014 (current) | Use du, lower case, as the normal word for an individual; use ni, lower case, for several people or a company |
So when a Swedish government agency writes “you” to you, the informal tone is official house style, not a clerk being familiar.
What it means for you
For a visitor or newcomer the rule is short. The official guide to moving to Sweden puts it plainly: your doctor, your university professor and your financial adviser will all address you by first name and expect the same back, “regardless of job titles”, which are also dropped.
Örebro University’s guide for international staff ties this to the Swedish view of equality and democracy. Swedes address each other with du, without Sir, Mr, Mrs or Ms, and students and teachers treat each other informally.
In practice:
- In a shop, café or clinic: say Hej and use du. Nobody expects more.
- With a doctor or nurse: use the first name they gave you. “Doctor” sounds stiff, not respectful.
- With a professor or manager: first names. Calling your boss “Mr Svensson” in a meeting signals distance in a culture that drops titles. See Swedish work culture for the rest of the flat-hierarchy picture.
- In an email to someone you’ve never met: first name and surname together is a safe middle way. Switch to the first name when they reply with theirs.
- With older strangers: still du. It is never wrong in daily life.
One caution. First names don’t mean friendship. Du is the neutral register, not an invitation to closeness, and Swedish reserve in other respects is unchanged. Our guide to lagom and Jantelagen explains the equality instinct behind both.
There is also no ceremony of “offering the du”, as German speakers know it. Du is already the starting point, so there is nothing to offer.
Where titles survive
The informal default has four formal exceptions:
| Setting | How address works |
|---|---|
| Royal family | Kungen, Drottningen, Kronprinsessan in less formal settings, alternating with Ni; Ers Majestät and Ers Kungliga Höghet on formal occasions (Språkrådet advice, quoted 2015) |
| Courtroom | Titles expected; the official newcomer guide says to “get the titles right” |
| Government ministers | Titles expected, per the same guide |
| The Riksdag chamber | Members open with Herr talman or Fru talman by old custom, and should not call each other du or ni |
The parliament rule is easy to see on any broadcast debate. In 2022 the Speaker, Andreas Norlén, reminded party leaders from the chair that saying du or ni to each other “should not occur”. The royal rule made news in 2015, when an SVT reporter used du to Prince Daniel about a dozen times. The royal court later said it was not a problem, but the story shows the formal pocket is real.
If you are going to court as a witness or party, our guide to lay judges and Swedish courts covers who you will meet.
The ni question
Language textbooks often present ni as “the polite you”. In Sweden that is only half true.
Isof notes that ni to a single person is used today by some younger people speaking to older people, and by service staff to customers. A 2021 TV4 report described young Swedes deliberately using ni to older people as a matter of manners, and noted that the people on the receiving end don’t always appreciate it.
What that means for you:
- If a waiter calls you ni: it is meant as courtesy. If you were in a group, it may just be the plural.
- If you want to sound polite: use du. Switching to ni can make a visitor sound stiff or distant.
- If someone uses ni to you: reply with du or ni; both are accepted.
For more everyday phrases, see basic Swedish phrases.
Practical information
| Situation | What to say or write | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shop, café, pharmacy counter | Hej + du | Neutral default everywhere |
| Doctor, nurse, dentist | Their first name + du | Titles are dropped |
| Professor, teacher, manager | First name | Informal at universities and work |
| First email to a stranger | “Hej Anna Lindqvist” | Polite without titles |
| Agency letter to you | Expect du | Official style since the 2014 skrivregler |
| Royals, courtroom, ministers | Titles | Formal exceptions |
| Riksdag debate (watching) | Herr/Fru talman | Parliamentary custom |
| Cost of getting it wrong | None in daily life | No rule governs private address |
FAQ
What was the Swedish du reform?
It was the shift from titles, surnames and third-person address to the informal du and first names with almost everyone. It began in the 1960s and was largely complete in the 1970s. The language agency Isof stresses it was no organized reform or law, but a gradual change seen as part of a wider democratization of Swedish society.
Should I call a Swedish doctor or professor by their first name?
Yes. Doctors, professors and advisers in Sweden address patients, students and clients by first name and expect the same back, regardless of job title. Calling them “Doctor Lindqvist” is not wrong in a dangerous way, but it sounds stiff. Use the first name they introduced themselves with, and the informal du.
Is it rude to use du with strangers in Sweden?
No. Du is the neutral, normal way to say “you” to one person in Sweden, including strangers, officials and older people. Government agencies are told to use it in letters to individuals. Using ni to one person instead can come across as stiff or distant, so a visitor is always safe with du.
Why did a waiter call me ni?
Because ni has partly returned as a courtesy form. Isof notes that younger people sometimes use it to older people and service staff to customers. It is meant politely, though not everyone likes it. Ni is also simply the plural “you”, so if you were with company it may have meant all of you.
When do Swedes still use titles?
Rarely. Titles survive with the royal family (Ers Majestät in formal settings), in a courtroom and with government ministers. In the Riksdag, members address the Speaker as Herr talman or Fru talman and should not call each other du. Outside those settings, first names are the default.
Was there a law that made Swedes use du?
No. No statute ever required du. The language law requires public bodies to write in careful, simple and comprehensible Swedish, and the public sector’s style guide recommends du to individuals, but private address between people has never been regulated. The change spread through workplaces, the press and everyday life.
Related guides
- Swedish etiquette: 20 unwritten rules — the wider map of manners this page belongs to
- Basic Swedish phrases — hej, tack and how to use du in your first sentences
- Swedish work culture — first names with the CEO and the flat hierarchy behind them
- Lagom and Jantelagen — the equality mindset that made du stick
- Swedish names and the name law — why the first name carries so much weight
Facts verified 2026-10-14. Sources: Institutet för språk och folkminnen (Isof) and Språkrådet, Svenska institutet (sweden.se), Örebro University, Sveriges riksdag (Språklag 2009:600), SVT and TV4 — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.