Glossary: 321 words you need for the Swedish citizenship test

Unemployment insurance fund: an insurance that pays money if you become unemployed, provided you have been a member and worked enough.

A group of families that once had special rights and political power.

A candle holder with four candles. One candle is lit each Sunday before Christmas.

A Christian holiday at the end of October or beginning of November when many people light candles on graves.

The right to be in nature, even on land someone else owns, as long as you do not disturb or destroy.

That all adults may vote, not only those with money.

A prosecutor deciding that a suspect is to be kept locked up for a short time while the crime is investigated.

The person who by law is responsible for everything published in a newspaper, radio channel or TV channel.

Hatred of and discrimination against Jews.

That the Migration Agency decides you should take the test.

The letter from the Migration Agency saying that you should take the test.

Money the employer pays to the state for each employee, on top of wages.

The one who employs and pays wages, for example a company, a municipality or a government agency.

Everyone who works or is able to work.

All the jobs and everyone who works or is looking for work in a country.

What it is like to work at a workplace, for example safety, noise, stress and wellbeing.

The person who is employed and receives wages.

A numbered rule in a law or a convention.

Protection in another country for someone who has to flee because their life is in danger.

A sum of money that you have to pay, for example to the state or an association.

Long and narrow.

To give something up voluntarily, for example a citizenship.

Money from the state to families with children.

Preschool and after-school care, where children are looked after while their parents work.

When someone under 18 gets married.

Trees with needles instead of leaves, for example spruce and pine.

All the people who live in a country or an area.

When the number of people in a country grows.

A register that shows which people have been convicted of certain crimes.

Help, often financial help, from the municipality to those who cannot manage on their own.

A group of countries standing together against another group of countries.

A ring of flowers worn on the head, for example at Midsummer.

A government made up of parties to the right of the Social Democrats.

A loan from the bank to buy a home.

An area of business, for example retail or transport.

A large fire outdoors.

How far north or south a place lies on the earth.

A person who has been the victim of a crime.

A plan for income and expenditure.

The government's proposal to the Riksdag on the state's income and expenditure.

A large organisation that brings together many trade unions, for example LO.

A formal gathering, often with speeches, music or symbols such as the flag.

A text in a newspaper or online where you argue for your opinion on a public issue.

Report your income to the Tax Agency.

Being part of society and able to have influence.

Rule by the people: the people decide, usually by electing politicians in free elections.

Ideas a democracy is built on, for example that all people are of equal worth and that everyone may say what they think.

The public conversation about social issues, for example in the media, at meetings and online.

The rapid change brought by computers, the internet and smartphones.

That employers and trade unions, not politicians, agree on the conditions on the labour market.

A collective name for the state, the regions and the municipalities.

Someone being treated worse than others because of, for example, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or age.

The government agency that ensures the Discrimination Act is followed, abbreviated DO.

A person who works in a court and judges, that is, decides the cases.

The body that decides whether someone has broken the law and settles disputes. The courts are independent of politicians.

When people in the 1960s began saying du to each other instead of using titles or ni.

Digital identification, for example BankID or Freja eID.

An association owned jointly by its members.

When a country's economy grows, so the country becomes richer.

Money you receive instead of wages, for example when unemployed or ill.

Which people or ethnic group a person belongs to or comes from.

The European Union: a cooperation between European countries on, among other things, trade, free movement and common laws.

The EU's elected assembly, where Sweden has members.

The European Court of Human Rights, a court that belongs to the Council of Europe.

A European organisation that works for human rights, democracy and the principles of the rule of law.

Unusually severe weather, for example heatwaves, heavy rain and drought.

An organisation for employees that negotiates pay and conditions with employers and helps its members.

An organisation that represents employees, for example a trade union.

Claims that are not true but are spread as if they were.

Pay for something.

A question with several answer options where you choose one.

The United Nations: an organisation where almost all the world's countries cooperate for peace, security and human rights.

A body set up by the UN to summarise what scientists around the world know about the climate.

Registered with the Tax Agency as living in Sweden.

The idea of Sweden as a home for the whole people, where society takes care of everyone. The word is linked to the growth of the welfare state.

A vote where everyone entitled to vote can say yes or no on a specific question.

A voluntary association where many people gather around a common interest, for example temperance or the right to vote.

That the people decide. That is what the word democracy means.

Work to produce new knowledge, for example at universities.

When a court concludes that the accused is not guilty, so the person gets no punishment.

Fear of or hatred towards people from other countries.

The elected politicians in a municipality or region who make the decisions.

That you can manage Swedish in everyday life. Equivalent to level B1.

That the body or brain functions less well in some way, for example being unable to walk or see.

That people in the EU can freely study, move, work and sell goods between the member states.

The rule that a party must get at least four per cent of the votes to enter the Riksdag.

Rockets and lights that are sent up into the air and shine in different colours, often to celebrate something.

The year's first potatoes, which are small and have thin skins.

Discuss in order to reach an agreement, for example on pay.

The Nazis' murder of about 6 million Jews in Europe.

Here: the UN document from 1948 that sets out which rights all people have.

A local group of believers who gather for prayer and worship.

A lawyer who helps and defends the accused during the trial.

A group of countries that promise to protect each other if one of them is attacked.

The agency responsible for Sweden's military defence: the army, the navy and the air force.

Spreading false or offensive claims about a person that damage their reputation.

Relying on someone, for example politicians or public authorities.

The part of a criminal investigation where the police examine the crime carefully before it is decided whether there will be a trial.

The state insurance that pays parental benefit when you stay at home with your children.

The time off work to take care of your child.

Money from the Social Insurance Agency when you are at home from work with your child.

Check carefully how something has been done.

One of the four laws that decide how Sweden is governed and what rights you have. Harder to change than ordinary laws.

What everyone should be able to count on: healthcare, school and money when you cannot work.

The school for children aged 6 to 16.

A religious gathering in a church with prayer and singing.

The time when an authority looks into your case before it makes a decision.

Violence, threats or strict control by the family or relatives against someone who breaks the family's rules.

A day when most people are off work.

A person the church especially honours, for example Lucia.

An election where nobody else can see how you vote.

That you live in Sweden and have your home here.

Threatening or expressing contempt for a group, for example because of ethnic background or religion.

Using natural resources in a way that lets future generations live well too.

A court deciding that a suspect is to be kept locked up for a longer period while the crime is investigated.

A special day that is celebrated, often with family and traditions.

Understanding what you hear.

Run by the state, a region or a municipality, not by a private company.

When a country moves from farming to factories and industry, and many people move from the countryside to the towns.

A society where knowledge, information and technology matter most to the economy.

Money you receive, for example wages or benefits.

An amount the state sets each year and that is used to calculate limits.

A level among the courts, where the district court is the first instance and the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court are higher instances.

That people with different backgrounds live close to each other, take part in society and feel included.

An association that works for the interests of a particular group, for example a trade union.

A document from, for example, a doctor showing that you have a need.

A country that many people move to.

The period about 10,000 years ago when Sweden was covered by thick ice.

A country where most people live in the countryside and work growing crops and keeping animals.

The government's lawyer, who also checks that the agencies act correctly.

An agency that checks that other agencies treat people correctly.

That all people are of equal worth and have the same rights and opportunities.

That women and men have the same rights, obligations and opportunities in society.

Rock that contains iron. It is mined and used to make steel.

The conflict after the Second World War between a Western bloc with the USA and an Eastern bloc with the Soviet Union.

The notice with the time and place of your test.

A waiting period, for example after a crime, before you can get citizenship.

Large gaps between rich and poor groups in society.

A Swedish law with targets for how much greenhouse gas Sweden may emit.

An agreement between a trade union and employers on pay and working conditions for all employees at a workplace or in a sector.

Buses, trams, trains and the underground that anyone can travel on.

Run in order to make money.

A local area with its own elected politicians, responsible for things like schools, elderly care and water.

The municipality's school for adults, for example komvux and sfi (Swedish for immigrants).

The Nazis' camps where prisoners were held, forced to work and murdered.

Help that an embassy or consulate gives its country's citizens abroad.

An agreement between many countries, for example on human rights.

Buying now and paying later, usually with interest.

The government agency that makes sure debts are paid.

The person who is to become queen after the king. In Sweden it is Victoria.

Traditions, buildings and customs that a country has inherited from earlier generations.

The place or person a piece of information comes from, for example a newspaper, a book or a website.

Checking who is behind a piece of information, why it is being spread and whether it is true, before you believe it.

Which gender a person experiences themselves as having.

Harming the genitals of girls or women. It is forbidden in Sweden.

One of the three large parts Sweden is usually divided into: Götaland, Svealand and Norrland.

One of the 25 old areas Sweden is divided into. The word can also mean the scenery you see around you.

A person elected to the Riksdag or another decision-making body.

How well people live economically: housing, food, money.

The principle that women and men should get the same pay for the same work.

Continuing to learn new things throughout your life.

A person's view of life and what matters, with or without religion.

A procession where Lucia walks first and the others carry candles and sing.

A yellow saffron bun eaten around Lucia Day.

The state's division of the country into areas. Each county has a county administrative board that represents the state.

Understanding what you read.

More than half, for example of the votes or of the seats in the Riksdag.

A seat in the Riksdag, a regional council or a municipal council. A party gets seats in proportion to how many votes it received.

The document showing that you have become a Swedish citizen.

The rights a citizen has in society, for example to vote in elections.

To tell something so that it becomes known. Meddelas means that something is announced.

The period in Europe roughly between the years 500 and 1500.

Newspapers, radio, TV, the internet and other channels through which news and information reach many people.

A country that belongs to an organisation or a form of cooperation, for example the EU or NATO.

A tall pole dressed with leaves and flowers that people dance around on Midsummer Eve.

The state's plan in the 1960s to build a million homes in ten years.

A natural substance found in rock, for example copper, zinc or gold.

Being dependent on, for example, alcohol or drugs.

Hitting or injuring someone.

Value added tax: a tax included in the price of almost everything you buy, which the seller passes on to the state.

A king or queen.

A building where Muslims gather to pray.

The ability to cope with crises and threats without society ceasing to function.

A state organisation that carries out what the Riksdag and the government have decided, for example the Tax Agency or the Migration Agency.

That people of many different cultures live in the same society.

That many different religions exist in the same country.

A list that many people sign to show they support a proposal.

The wars in Europe in the early 1800s under the French emperor Napoleon.

Sweden's National Day is celebrated on 6 June and is a public holiday.

What applies to the whole country. At national level it is the state that governs.

Five groups that have lived in Sweden for a long time and have special protection for their language and culture.

Getting citizenship after an application.

Things in nature that people use, for example forests, ore and water.

Rain, snow and other water that falls from the sky.

That a country does not take sides in a war and does not join military alliances.

Cooperation between the governments of the Nordic countries.

Cooperation between the parliaments of the Nordic countries.

A group of politicians in the municipality responsible for an area, for example schools.

A member of the public who takes part in judging in the district court together with the judge.

All the companies in a country, from small shops to large factories.

Not controlled by anyone else, for example politicians or companies.

When one country takes over another country by military force.

The power that the state, the regions and the municipalities have to govern and make decisions that affect people.

That everyone has the right to read documents held by public authorities, such as letters and decisions, unless they are secret.

Care and help for those who need it, for example the elderly and children.

Not taking sides but treating different opinions and groups equally.

The parties in the Riksdag that are not in the government and do not support it.

Not having committed the crime you are suspected or accused of.

A mass made from wood, also called cellulose. Paper and cardboard are made from it.

That the government must have the support of the parliament, or at least be tolerated by it, in order to govern.

One of the sides in an agreement or a negotiation, for example the employers or the union.

An extract from the population register that you order from the Swedish Tax Agency.

An imaginary line around the earth far to the north. North of it lies the Arctic region.

An organisation that brings together people with shared ideas about how society should be governed.

Pay in advance to receive a newspaper or service regularly.

The everyday healthcare close to you, for example the health centre.

A person's or a family's income and expenses.

Parties get seats in proportion to how many votes they received.

Belonging to the Christian churches that broke with the Catholic church in the 16th century, such as the Lutheran church.

The town or city where the test is held.

A day when the test is held.

Radio and TV funded by everyone through tax, meant to be independent of politicians and companies and to serve the whole population.

The punishment for a crime, for example a fine or prison.

The month when Muslims fast. The festival of Eid al-Fitr is celebrated when Ramadan ends.

A supposed science that divided people into races and that harmed minorities.

A change that politicians decide on to improve something in society.

The prime minister and the ministers. The government runs the country, proposes laws and makes sure the Riksdag's decisions are carried out.

The fundamental law that says how Sweden is to be governed and what freedoms and rights citizens have.

An area larger than the municipality, with its own elected politicians, responsible for healthcare and public transport.

Space in a newspaper or channel that is sold to companies that want to show advertising.

The right to choose your religion, change religion or have no religion at all, and to practise it alone or together with others.

The 1951 law that gave everyone the right to freely choose a religion or to have no religion at all.

The people elect politicians who make the decisions on their behalf.

Sweden's parliament. The Riksdag makes laws, decides the state budget and checks the government.

An act performed in a set way, for example a baptism, wedding or funeral.

That gives advice. The politicians do not have to follow the result.

The hearing in court where the prosecutor and the defence of the accused present their evidence and arguments.

A country where the law applies equally to everyone, including the state itself.

That the law applies equally to everyone, that no one is convicted without a fair trial, and that you can predict what is allowed.

The collective name for the police, the prosecutors, the courts and the other agencies that work with law and justice.

Vote before election day at a special place.

Having the right to vote in an election.

A screened-off space where you vote without anyone else seeing what you choose.

A card sent to your home before the election showing which polling station to go to.

The right to vote in an election.

Based on facts, not on opinions or feelings.

The Sami's elected parliament, which also has some of the tasks of a government agency.

What society offers its residents, for example schools, healthcare and public transport.

That a person says yes voluntarily.

The Sami homeland, which stretches across Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia.

People living apart, for example depending on how much they earn or their ethnic background.

That a piece of information is secret and may not be disclosed.

A part of the labour market, for example the public or the private one.

Not religious. A secular state is neutral in religious matters and is not governed by any religion.

The law that makes it illegal to buy sex. The buyer is punished, not the seller.

Who a person falls in love with or is attracted to.

The government agency in charge of Sweden's development cooperation and aid to other countries.

An ID card approved according to a Swedish standard.

The insurance that pays money when you are ill and cannot work.

A country deciding for itself, without being ruled by another country.

Money that everyone pays to the state, the region and the municipality, for example on wages and on purchases, to pay for welfare.

Money that comes from taxes.

Help for someone with large debts to get their finances in order.

A document showing that a person was under Swedish protection.

Having committed the crime you are accused of.

A sea area with many islands close to the coast.

That you follow the law and pay your debts.

Internet services where users create and share content themselves.

The state's insurance schemes that pay benefits when you cannot work, for example when you are ill, at home with children or old.

The part of the municipality that provides support and protection to people who need it.

An official visit by one country's head of state to another country.

The country's highest representative. In Sweden the king is head of state, but he has no political power.

A church that is tied to the state. The Church of Sweden was the state church in Sweden until 2000.

Not being a citizen of any country.

The head of the government. The prime minister chooses the ministers and leads the government's work.

How a country is governed, for example a monarchy or a republic.

Decide on new laws.

Old enough to be prosecuted and convicted of a crime. In Sweden you become criminally responsible at 15.

When workers stop working to demand better conditions.

The fundamental law on succession to the throne, that is, on who becomes Sweden's next king or queen.

A building where Jews gather for worship.

How a country works to protect itself against threats and war from other countries.

A building for prayer and worship, for example in Hinduism and Buddhism.

A Swedish test used for admission to university studies.

The whole of society's defence: the military defence and the civil defence, which must keep healthcare, schools and food working in crisis and war.

Something people do the same way year after year.

A variant within a religion, for example Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant Christianity.

An organisation for people with the same religion, for example a church or a mosque association.

What a person believes in, for example a religion.

The right to print and distribute texts, for example newspapers and books, without the state checking them in advance.

A court case in which two parties disagree, for example parents who cannot agree on where their child should live.

When two or more countries are joined under the same leadership or cooperate in a fixed organisation.

According to Christian belief, Jesus coming back to life after his death. The word can also mean a stir or commotion among many people.

A people who have lived in an area since very long ago, before other peoples arrived.

Comes from the people. Power coming from the people means that the citizens decide through elections who is to govern.

A first test used to try out the questions and set the pass mark.

What is released into the air or water, for example exhaust from cars and smoke from factories.

To move from your own country to another country.

The share of those entitled to vote who actually vote.

Being able to choose for yourself, for example a school or care.

The place where you vote on election day.

The period before an election when the parties campaign for votes.

The slip with the party's name that you put in the envelope when you vote.

A country's money, for example kronor or euros.

Flowing water, for example streams and rivers.

Electricity produced with the help of running water, for example in a river.

A constitutional proposal the Riksdag has approved once and must approve again after an election.

Violence from a partner or a family member.

The day in March when day and night are equally long.

Whoever provides care, for example a hospital or a health centre.

The adult who is responsible for a child, usually the parents.

What society provides to everyone living here and pays for with tax: schools, healthcare, elderly care and financial support when needed.

The duty of everyone who has turned 18 to answer questions and take tests ahead of military training.

Gases that make the earth warmer, for example from cars, factories and farming.

The right to say and write what you think, for example to criticise the government, without being punished for it.

The fundamental law that protects the right to say what you think in media such as radio and TV.

A state lawyer who leads the criminal investigation, decides whether to prosecute and tries to prove in court that the suspect is guilty.

The person whom the prosecutor charges with a crime before the court.

To take back something that was given earlier.

Help and care for old people.

To ask a higher court or body to review a decision again, because you think it is wrong.