Questions & Answers about Ja, jag mår bra.
What does mår mean, and when do I use it?
The verb må (present mår) means to feel in the sense of health or general well-being. Use it for people or animals:
- Hur mår du? – Jag mår bra/dåligt/bättre.
- Barnet mår bra. Do not use mår for objects or for tactile feeling or opinions. For those, use other verbs:
- Tactile: känna (to feel by touch), känna sig (to feel, as in one’s state: Jag känner mig trött.)
- Opinions: tycka (to think), känna (to feel emotionally). Note: Jag mår illa specifically means I feel sick/nauseous.
Why is it Jag mår bra and not Jag är bra?
In Swedish, saying Jag är bra is usually about being good at something or being a good person, not about health. To say you are well, you use må:
- Natural health reply: Jag mår bra.
- Skill: Jag är bra på tennis. Use Jag är bra only when the context is clearly about ability or quality, not well-being.
Can I use väl instead of bra here?
Not for health. With må, the idiomatic word is bra (or negatives like dåligt/illa). Väl is not the health-meaning well here. You might see:
- Jag mår väl bra. This uses väl as a sentence particle meaning probably/softening, roughly I guess I’m fine, but it still needs bra. Avoid Jag mår väl on its own to mean I feel well.