Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching Swedish grammar and vocabulary.
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.
Do I need the comma after Ja?
It’s recommended in standard writing to put a comma after interjections like Ja, Nej, Jo:
- Ja, jag mår bra. In casual texts you will see it omitted, but keep it in formal writing.
Why is jag not capitalized like English I?
Swedish does not capitalize personal pronouns in the middle of a sentence. jag, du, han, hon, etc. are lowercase unless they begin the sentence. So Jag is only capitalized here because it starts the clause after the comma.
How do you pronounce Ja, jag mår bra?
Approximate General Swedish:
- Ja: [jɑː], like a long yah.
- jag: often [jɑː] in everyday speech (the g is usually silent), sometimes [jag] in careful or Finland-Swedish speech.
- mår: [moːr], å is a long o sound.
- bra: [brɑː], a rolled or tapped r, long a. Natural sentence rhythm stresses mår and bra more than ja/jag.
Is this formal or informal? Should I add tack?
Ja, jag mår bra is neutral. Adding tack makes it polite and very common in everyday exchanges:
- Ja, jag mår bra, tack. You can also say Tack, jag mår bra.
What are other natural replies to How are you?
Common options:
- Jag mår bra, tack.
- Bra, tack.
- Jag mår fint/jättebra/okej.
- Så där. (so-so) To return the question:
- Och du? / Du då? / Själv?
How do I say I’m not well or not so well?
Use inte after the verb:
- Nej, jag mår inte bra.
- Jag mår inte så bra. (softer)
- Jag mår dåligt. (I feel bad/poorly)
- Jag mår illa. (I feel nauseous)
How do I talk about past or future with må?
Key forms: present mår, preterite mådde, supine mått. Examples:
- Past: I går mådde jag bra.
- Present perfect: Jag har mått bra på sistone.
- Future: Jag kommer att må bättre i morgon. / Jag ska må bättre i morgon (less common but possible in context).
Can I drop the subject and just say Mår bra?
Standard Swedish normally requires the subject pronoun, so Jag mår bra is the full form. In very casual speech or texting, you might see Mår bra as an ellipsis, but use Jag mår bra in anything neutral or formal.
What’s the difference between Hur mår du? and Hur är det? / Hur är läget?
- Hur mår du? asks about your health/well-being. Natural answer: Jag mår bra.
- Hur är det? / Hur är läget? asks how things are in general. Natural answers: Det är bra., Bra, tack. You can still answer Jag mår bra to any of these in everyday conversation.
Can I just answer Ja to Mår du bra?
You can, but it may sound curt. More natural:
- Ja, jag mår bra.
- Ja, tack.
- Ja, det gör jag. (Yes, I do.) If the question was negative, use Jo to contradict:
- Mår du inte bra? – Jo, jag mår bra.
What’s the difference between ja and jo?
- Ja affirms a positive statement or question.
- Jo affirms in response to a negative statement/question, i.e., it contradicts the negation. Examples:
- Mår du bra? – Ja, jag mår bra.
- Mår du inte bra? – Jo, jag mår bra. You might also hear Jodå (yeah, sure) as a friendly, slightly downplaying affirmative.
How do I type the letter å in mår, and how is it supposed to sound?
- Sound: å is like the vowel in English law or raw but more rounded and long in mår.
- Typing:
- Windows: hold Alt and type 0229 for å, 0197 for Å (on numeric keypad), or add a Swedish keyboard layout.
- macOS: Option+a gives å, Option+Shift+a gives Å, or long-press a and choose å.
- iOS/Android: long-press the letter a and select å.