Mejla, dejta and streama – when English words get a Swedish outfit

Swedish has always borrowed words from other languages: German, French, Latin, Greek and, these days, very often English.

Sometimes words enter Swedish looking rather formal, like implementera (“implement”), digitalisering (“digitalisation”) and strategi (“strategy”). Other times, they stroll straight into everyday life in trainers and say: mejla, dejta and streama.

The interesting thing is not just that these words come from English. The interesting thing is what happens next.

Swedish does not simply borrow a word and leave it standing in the corner looking international. It starts adapting it. The spelling may change, Swedish endings may appear, and after a while the word can feel surprisingly at home.

mail/email becomes mejl and mejla

“email” becomes “an email” and “to email”

date becomes dejt and dejta

“date” becomes “a date” and “to date”

stream becomes streama

“stream” becomes “to stream”

And suddenly we can say:

Jag mejlar dig. “I’ll email you.”

Hon dejtar någon. “She’s dating someone.”

Vi streamade en serie igår. “We streamed a series yesterday.”

The English words have acquired Swedish grammar. They have become part of the system. A bit like guests who first pop round for a visit, but soon have their own key, a favourite mug, and surprisingly strong opinions about where the cheese slicer should live.

From English noun to Swedish verb

One fun thing about many loanwords is that an English noun often becomes a Swedish verb.

English mail or email is originally a noun: ett mejl (“an email”), a message. But in Swedish we can create the verb mejla (“to email”).

Jag skickar ett mejl. “I’m sending an email.”

Here mejl is a noun.

Jag mejlar dig. “I’m emailing you.”

Here mejlar is a verb.

The same thing happens with date:

Jag ska på en dejt. “I’m going on a date.”

Here dejt is a noun.

Jag dejtar någon. “I’m dating someone.”

Here dejtar is a verb.

And with stream:

Vi streamar filmen ikväll. “We’re streaming the film tonight.”

Swedish is rather practical here. It looks at an English word and says: “You seem useful. Would you like to become a verb?”

The magical little -a

One of the easiest ways to turn a loanword into a Swedish verb is to add -a.

So we get:

mejl → mejla

dejt → dejta

stream → streama

chatt → chatta

Google → googla

scroll → scrolla

zoom → zooma

This is very handy for anyone learning Swedish. Once the word has received its -a, it is often conjugated like a regular group 1 verb:

mejla – mejlar – mejlade – har mejlat

dejta – dejtar – dejtade – har dejtat

streama – streamar – streamade – har streamat

It is almost suspiciously tidy. As if grammar, for once, had cleaned up after itself.

When do English loanwords fit?

English loanwords often work well in everyday language, especially when we talk about technology, the internet, work, pop culture and social relationships.

Natural:

Jag mejlar dig. “I’ll email you.”

Vi streamar serien. “We’re streaming the series.”

De dejtar. “They’re dating.”

A little more formal:

Jag skickar informationen via e-post. “I’ll send the information by email.”

Filmen finns tillgänglig online. “The film is available online.”

De har inlett en relation. “They have started a relationship.”

So it is not that one version is always right and the other is always wrong. It is a matter of style.

Language works more like a wardrobe than a courtroom. You choose according to the situation.

At work, mejla can sound completely normal:

Kan du mejla rapporten? “Can you email the report?”

In an official letter, skicka via e-post may be a better fit:

Du kan skicka handlingarna via e-post. “You can send the documents by email.”

With friends, people often say:

De dejtar. “They’re dating.”

In a more formal text, you might write:

De har en relation. “They are in a relationship.”

When talking about everyday entertainment, you might say:

Jag streamade en serie. “I streamed a series.”

In a more technical or journalistic text, you might see:

Programmet finns tillgängligt online. “The programme is available online.”

More new loanwords in everyday life

Many newer English loanwords come from areas where English is especially strong: the internet, technology, social media, gaming, work, AI and popular culture.

In Swedish, you can "prompta en AI", "spoila slutet på en serie", "ghosta någon efter två ganska lovande meddelanden", "pitcha en idé på jobbet", "boosta ett inlägg", "levla upp i ett spel" or "cringea åt en gammal statusuppdatering från 2012".

This says something about where many new words are born. When new habits, technologies and cultures enter everyday life, the words often come along too. Sometimes there are Swedish alternatives, such as avslöja slutet (“reveal the ending”) instead of spoila, sträckkolla (“binge-watch”) instead of binge-titta, försvinna utan förklaring (“disappear without explanation”) instead of ghosta, or presentera en idé (“present an idea”) instead of pitcha.

But loanwords can feel quicker, more precise, or more closely connected to the environment where they are used. Prompta belongs in the world of AI. Spoila and binge-titta belong among series and films. Ghosta comes from dating and messaging culture. Levla upp belongs to gaming, but is also used figuratively: you can levla upp your Swedish, your fitness, or your coffee machine, if you believe milk foam is a matter of personal development.

That does not mean English loanwords are always the best choice. In an official text, you probably should not write “personen ghostade” (“the person ghosted”), but rather “personen upphörde med kontakten” (“the person stopped responding” / “the person broke off contact”). In a course description, AI-frågor may be clearer than prompts, depending on the audience.

But in everyday language, loanwords often capture something quick and contemporary. They come directly from the places where much of modern life happens: the screen, the workplace, the gaming world, the chats and the culture feed.

English words, Swedish situations

English loanwords do not only show that English influences Swedish. They also show what we are talking about right now.

When everyday life changes, words change too. New technologies, new ways of socialising, new media and new working habits need names. Sometimes Swedish creates its own words. Sometimes we borrow from English. Often we do both, and let the words compete a little in the language wardrobe.

For learners of Swedish, it is useful to recognise these words, but also to get a feel for the situation. Prompta, ghosta and pitcha can sound completely natural in the right context. In the wrong context, they can sound unnecessarily trendy, a bit like turning up to a parents’ evening with a ring light and saying “content strategy”.

So the next time you hear someone say: Jag promptade fram en bild, men den spoilade hela idén, så nu måste jag pitcha om allt. (“I generated an image with a prompt, but it spoiled the whole idea, so now I have to pitch it all again.”)

Then you are not just hearing English loanwords. You are hearing Swedish doing what Swedish has always done: borrowing, reshaping, testing and using what works.

Language is not a museum. It lives in everyday use, where new words are tested, worn in, and sometimes become completely ordinary.