Whether you are checking the timetable or waiting out a delay on the platform, mastering clock time is essential for navigating Swedish public transport.
Half hours look forward
Swedish handles half-hours differently than English. Instead of looking back at the hour that just passed, Swedish looks forward to the upcoming hour.
When you see the word halv (half), it means "halfway to" the hour stated. Therefore, halv fyra means "halfway to four" (3:30), which translates to "half past three" in English.
| The departure is at half past three. | Avgången är klockan halv fyra. |
| The next departure is at half past one. | Nästa avgång är klockan halv två. |
Quarters
The word for a quarter of an hour is kvart. To say "a quarter to" an hour, use the preposition i (to/in).
| We are looking at the timetable, it is a quarter to four. | Vi tittar på tidtabellen, klockan är kvart i fyra. |
| The commuter train comes to the platform at a quarter to five. | Pendeltåget kommer till perrongen kvart i fem. |
When talking about a duration of time starting from now, you can say om en kvart (in a quarter of an hour).
| The tram is coming in a quarter of an hour. | Spårvagnen kommer om en kvart. |
On the dot
If you want to emphasize that a train departs exactly on the hour and not a minute later, add the word prick (sharp / on the dot) immediately after the time.
| The timetable is unclear, but the train departs at eight o'clock sharp. | Tidtabellen är otydlig, men tåget avgår klockan åtta prick. |
| I know that the tram does not come at exactly six o'clock. | Jag vet att spårvagnen inte kommer klockan sex prick. |
Dealing with delays
Now that you know how to read the clock, you can easily understand timetable updates about ankomsten (the arrival) and förseningen (the delay) when things don't go according to plan.
| After the delay, the arrival is at a quarter to twelve. | Efter förseningen är ankomsten klockan kvart i tolv. |