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Sweden’s Secret Rules: Things You’re Supposed to Know

SayItLoud

7,612 views

Nobody gives you the rulebook when you move to Sweden… but somehow you’re expected to know all of this. 😂

I’ve lived in Sweden for 30 years. I’ve seen Swedish culture from both the inside and the outside. In this video I explain the unwritten Swedish social rules nobody tells you about when you move here, and why Swedes do things this way.

⏱ In this video:
0:00 The unwritten rules nobody explains
0:20 Rule 1: “Vem är sist?” The invisible queue
0:44 Rule 2: Never sit next to someone on an empty bus
1:15 Rule 3: Be on time, and never early
1:36 Rule 4: Shoes off in a Swedish home
1:47 Rule 5: Keep quiet on public transport
1:57 Rule 6: Nobody takes the last piece of cake
2:21 Rule 7: Silence is comfortable
2:37 Rule 8: Fika is a social institution
2:56 No handbook, but everyone knows
3:11 Which rule did I miss?

▶ Part 2 is out: [Living in Sweden? 8 Things You Need to Kno...]

💬 What Swedish unwritten rule did I miss? Tell me in the comments, and it might end up in the next part!

🔔 Subscribe for more about Swedish culture, social norms and how life in Sweden really works.

#Sweden #SwedishCulture #LivingInSweden

10 Comments

@ketorolac4276 4 days ago

The "who is last" thing is exactly the same here in Argentina... You ALWAYS ask, and yes, everybody will know who's last...

@herrakaarme 2 days ago

As Finn, I assumed nothing here would surprise me, but it was actually the very first one that did! Here in Finland if you see people queueing for something without an actual orderly queue, just standing or sitting in random places, you need to look for a device that gives you a numbered ticket. Then you stare at a screen until it displays the number on your ticket. It's now your turn.

@kimmogensen4888 1 day ago

The queue is almost orderly in Denmark and obvious, but there can be times when it’s not and then we also ask who came first but very similar culture in Nordic countries and Scandinavian countries very similar language also i can understand Swedish and Norwegian expect for maybe some far north assents they can be heard, and Finnish people usually speak Swedish, Faroe Islands Iceland and Greenland a lot of people can speak danish and of course almost everyone speak English

@lehoff 1 day ago

As a Mediterranean person this is quite alien to me! But love it at the same time. 😅

@N0tTh3MESSIAH 2 days ago

I am Swedish already.

@EMBer3000 2 days ago

And if you break any of our unspoken, unwritten rules we will judge you, silently. If you break them seriously enough we might even glare at you. If you are so dense a Swedish person actually steps up and lectures you, you must have made yourself so unpopular that we felt the need to give up our silence just to make sure you don't do what you have done again. This seems to mostly happen if you do the unthinkable and skip places in a queue, at least one person will talk sternly to you in that case, and the rest will glare.

@GeorgMagnus-u9k 2 days ago

These unwritten rules are not only Swedish. You find them in other countries too, especially in the Nordic countries. The background noise i very loud and disturbing.

@karinelfwing9095 2 days ago

In Spanish and Spain I would ask: Who is last but as as Swede in Sweden I wouldn´t ask who is last I would ask: Where is the queue or are you in the quie (står du i kö?) . And usuayly we don´t need ask, it the person who standing fartherst awy from the cash regisry (or whatever you are queing too) even if its not a proper line.

@Knightonagreyhorse 2 days ago

Just common sense.

@RR2026-i7l 1 day ago

I will never understand Swedish mentality. Very strange people! It`s a nice country, but not for straightforward, intelectually honest people, who are used to say what they think and who appreciate logic and common sense!