Learn Hardcore Swedish: Skynda dig, snälla, mötet börjar precis nu. - Hurry up, please, the meeting starts right now.

In Swedish, the verb for “to hurry” is normally reflexive: skynda sig. When you tell someone to hurry, you use the imperative plus the reflexive pronoun: Skynda dig! (literally “Hurry yourself!”). You can say just Skynda!, and people will understand, but addressing a specific person, Skynda dig! is the most idiomatic.

What’s the difference between Skynda dig, Skynda på, and Skynda på dig?

Skynda dig! = “Hurry up!” (standard when speaking to one person)
Skynda på! = “Hurry up!” / “Speed it up!” (often about making a process go faster, or urging people in general)
Skynda på dig! = very common in speech, though some style guides consider it redundant. It’s fine in everyday conversation.

How do I say it to more than one person?

Use the plural reflexive: Skynda er! If you prefer a more neutral group address, Skynda på! also works.

Reflexive pronouns for reference:

jag: mig
du: dig
han/hon/den/det: sig
vi: oss
ni: er
de: sig

What does snälla do here? Is it just “please”?

Yes. Snälla is used as an interjection meaning “please,” often with an urgent, pleading, or emotional tone. Skynda dig, snälla, … feels like “Please, hurry up, …” It’s less formal than wording like Skulle du kunna … and more urgent than …, tack.

Where can snälla go, and do I need commas?

You can place it at the start, in the middle, or at the end:

Snälla, skynda dig.
Skynda dig, snälla.
Skynda dig, snälla, mötet börjar… (parenthetical)

Set it off with commas when it’s an interjection in the middle; at the beginning or end, one comma (or a pause/period) is typical.

Why is it snälla (with -a) and not snäll or snällt?

As an interjection meaning “please,” snälla is the conventional fixed form. With the “be kind and …” construction you agree it with the subject:

To one person: Var snäll och skynda dig.
To several people: Var snälla och skynda er. Snällt is neuter (e.g., Det var snällt = “That was kind.”), but it isn’t used as a standalone “please.”

Why is it mötet and not a separate article like “the meeting”?

Swedish marks definiteness with a suffix. ett möte = “a meeting” (indefinite neuter); mötet = “the meeting” (definite). So you don’t say “det möte” for “the meeting”; you say mötet.

How do I say “meetings” and “the meetings”?

Indefinite plural: möten (“meetings”)
Definite plural: mötena (“the meetings”)

Full set:

ett möte (a meeting)
mötet (the meeting)
möten (meetings)
mötena (the meetings)

Why is börjar in the present if it means “is starting”?

Swedish present tense covers both English simple present and present progressive. Mötet börjar can mean “the meeting starts” or “the meeting is starting.” There’s no separate -ing form in Swedish.

Can I use startar instead of börjar?

You can, but börjar is the default for scheduled events (meetings, classes, shows). Startar is common for machines, processes, or more technical/”kicking off” contexts. Here, Mötet börjar sounds most natural.

Is the word order Mötet börjar precis nu the only option?

No. Swedish main clauses are verb-second (V2), so you can front a time adverb and keep the verb second:

Nu börjar mötet.
Precis nu börjar mötet. All are correct; fronting (precis) nu puts emphasis on the time.

What’s the difference between nu, just nu, and precis nu?

nu = “now” (neutral)
just nu = “right now/at the moment” (often a span, e.g., “I’m busy right now”)
precis nu = “this very moment, right this second” (sharper immediacy) So Mötet börjar precis nu adds urgency compared to Mötet börjar nu.

Can I say Mötet börjar nu precis?

That ordering is uncommon/awkward in standard Swedish. Prefer:

Mötet börjar precis nu.
Nu börjar mötet.
Precis nu börjar mötet.

Any pronunciation tips for the tricky bits?

Skynda: sk before front vowels (like y) gives the Swedish “sj-sound” [ɧ]. y is a front rounded vowel (like German ü): here it’s short [ʏ]. Roughly “SH-uhn-da” with rounded lips.
dig: often pronounced as if spelled dej.
snälla: ä is like the e in “bed”; double ll gives a long l: [ˈsnɛlːa].
mötet: ö is a rounded mid-front vowel [øː]; final -et is a reduced ending: roughly [ˈmøː-tət]. Saying it smoothly: [ˈɧʏnːda dɛj | ˈsnɛlːa | ˈmøːtət ˈbørjar prɛˈsiːs nʉː].