tjej

Swedish

Alternative forms

• tjeja

Etymology

Attested since 1851. From Tavringer Romani tjej, from Romani ćhaj (“girl”), a feminine form of ćhavo (“boy”). Derived from the root found in the Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀙𑀸𑀯 (chāva), corresponding to Pali chāpa (“the young of an animal”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɕɛj/
• Rhymes: -ɛj

Noun

tjej c

1. (colloquial) a girl (young girl)

   Synonyms: flicka, tös, brud

   Några tjejer i 14-årsåldern gick runt i affären

   Some 14-year-old girls were browsing the store

   en present till en sjuårig tjej

   a present for a seven-year-old girl

   Hur gammal är lilltjejen?

   How old is the little one?

2. (colloquial) a girl, a gal (young woman (or older woman, ironically))

   Synonyms: kvinna, brud

   ragga på en tjej

   hit on a girl

   Det var bara vi tjejer i 50-årsåldern där

   It was just us gals in our 50s there

3. (colloquial) a girlfriend

   Synonyms: flickvän, brud

   Imorgon ska mina kompisar få träffa min nya tjej

   Tomorrow my friends are going to meet my new girlfriend

Declension

Declension of tjej
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	tjej	tjejen	tjejer	tjejerna
Genitive	tjejs	tjejens	tjejers	tjejernas

Derived terms

• tjejbacill
• tjejband
• tjejfest
• tjejfotboll
• tjejidrott
• tjejig
• tjejkast
• tjejmiddag
• tjejsnack
• tjejtjusare
• tjejtokig

 

Descendants

• → Norwegian:
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kjei, kei
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kjei, kei

References

• tjej in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• tjej in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• tjej in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• Gerd Carling (2005) “tjej”, in Romani i svenskan: Storstadsslang och standardspråk, Stockholm: Carlsson, →ISBN, page 104

Traveller Norwegian

Alternative forms

• kjei
• tjei

Etymology

From Romani ćhaj (“girl”), a feminine form of ćhavo (“boy”).

Noun

tjej

1. a girl

See also

• kjei
• tjei