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Questions & Answers about Jag heter Sara, vad heter han?
What does the verb heter mean here?
heter is the present tense of heta (“to be called; to be named”). It’s how Swedish expresses names:
- Jag heter Sara = I am called Sara / My name is Sara.
- Vad heter han? = What is he called? / What’s his name?
Why do Swedes say Jag heter Sara instead of Mitt namn är Sara or Jag är Sara?
- Jag heter Sara is the most natural way to introduce yourself.
- Mitt namn är Sara is correct but formal/official (think ID forms or announcements).
- Jag är Sara is also correct and common in introductions, but heter is the default in “What’s your name?” type contexts.
Does heter change with the subject (I/you/he etc.)?
No. Present tense is the same for all persons:
- jag/du/han/hon/den/det/vi/ni/de heter Other forms:
- Past: hette
- Supine/participle: hetat
- Infinitive: heta
How is the question Vad heter han? formed? What’s the word order?
In main-clause wh-questions, Swedish uses:
- Question word + verb + subject (+ rest) So: Vad (what) + heter (verb) + han (subject). In subordinate clauses, there’s no inversion:
- Vet du vad han heter? (Do you know what he is called?)
Why is it han and not honom?
han is the subject (nominative). honom is the object form. Questions still need the subject form:
- Correct: Vad heter han?
- Incorrect: Vad heter honom?
How do I ask about different people?
- To someone directly: Vad heter du? (What’s your name?)
- About a woman: Vad heter hon?
- About a group or in formal address: Vad heter ni?
- About several people (they): Vad heter de? (spelled de, pronounced “dom” in most speech)
Can I say Hur heter han? or Vad är hans namn?
Use Vad heter …? for names. Hur heter …? is incorrect, and Vad är hans namn? is grammatical but sounds unnatural in everyday Swedish.
Why is there no är (“is”) in Vad heter han??
Because heter is the main verb meaning “is called.” You don’t add är. Think “What is he called?” rather than “What is his name?” structurally.
How do I pronounce the words?
Approximate pronunciations (IPA + tips):
- Jag /jɑː(ɡ)/ — initial j like English “y”; the final g is often weak or dropped in many accents.
- heter /ˈheːtɛr/ — long e (“hay-ter”), tapped r.
- vad /vɑːd/ — long a (“vahd”).
- han /han/ — like “hahn.”
- Sara /ˈsɑːra/ — “SAH-rah,” clear tapped r. Intonation: wh-questions like Vad heter han? typically have falling intonation in Swedish.
Is the comma in Jag heter Sara, vad heter han? correct?
In careful writing, you’d normally make this two sentences:
- Jag heter Sara. Vad heter han? Using a comma between two independent clauses is common informally but not ideal in standard writing.
What pronoun should I use if I don’t know the person’s gender?
Swedish has a gender-neutral singular pronoun hen. You can say:
- Vad heter hen? (What’s their name?) You’ll also see han (he), hon (she), and for things/animals den/det depending on grammatical gender.
How do I negate this? For example, “My name isn’t Sara.”
Place inte after the verb:
- Jag heter inte Sara.
- Han heter inte Erik.
What’s the difference between heta and kallas?
- heta = to be named officially: Han heter Karl.
- kallas = to be called/known as (nickname or alias): Han heter Karl men kallas Kalle.
Do I capitalize jag the way English capitalizes “I”?
No. jag is only capitalized at the start of a sentence (like any word). Swedish doesn’t capitalize the first-person pronoun in the middle of sentences.
Do proper names take an article in Swedish?
No article with personal names:
- Jag heter Sara. (not “en/ett Sara”) Using an article with a name is rare and has special meanings (e.g., “en Sara” = a person named Sara, one Sara among others), not for normal self-introductions.
Can I use Vad heter det? for objects or places?
Yes:
- Vad heter det? (What is it called?)
- Vad heter staden? (What’s the city called?)
- Vad heter det på svenska? (What’s it called in Swedish?)